The Puppet Master Of Oak Tree Town
by GaetanDaquin
Summary: Humans were nothing but puppets, he decided. If a puppet willingly walked into his life, he'd just grab the strings. However, this puppet was so much more different than the others. He couldn't really call the other a puppet anymore, soon. But what name would be appropriate?
1. Chapter One

Tiny models sat on a desk, standing in a little model of a town. A hand reached down, moving a piece to another building, having it 'talk' to another figure. The wooden desk held the weight of everything well, not bending as a boy leaned on the edge to mess with something in the far back of the 'town'. The boy's hair fell in front of his face, shading his eyes as he smiled. The smile seemed sinister as it grew into a smirk, candlelight flickering on his face.

"I think..." he murmured to himself, "that I should have you and you become friends. Hm?" With that, he picked up the model of a blonde in a pink dress, and moved her into a farm up on top of the hill. "Yes, this will do nicely," he murmured again, sinister smile flickering again on his face. Suddenly the smirk faded, as the boy heard footsteps coming up the stairs. In one smooth motion he pulled a blanket over the tiny model, keeping it safe from view.

"Hello?" he called, peering down the stairs from his place at the desk. Shadows moved on the wall as the owner of the footsteps ascended the stairs. The blond shifted in his chair, pushing himself up and tuning to face the stairwell. Though he would not admit it, his heart was lodged firmly in his throat, as unfamiliar footsteps walked about his home at such a late hour. Slowly his hand reached for a knife he kept in his desk, just in case some psychotic criminal decided to break in.

The person who walked in, however, was not a psychopathic criminal. Once he ascended, the man in question showed himself to be the town chef, who was holding a box in his hands. Seeing the chef, the blond remembered rather suddenly that he had forgotten to eat dinner that evening. He selfishly hoped that whatever was in the box was for him, to make up for his missed meal. Setting down his weapon, he walked over to the chef at the top of the stairs.

"Good evening, Raeger," the blond greeted the other male politely. "What are you doing here. Are you looking for Iris, perhaps?"

The chef, Raeger, smiled and laughed a little. "No, I'm just being a good neighbor. Klaus called me earlier, saying that he hadn't seen you go to the restaurant this evening. He wasn't sure if you had eaten and asked me to bring you something. I wasn't sure what you liked, but I remembered what you normally ordered, so I brought that. I hope you like it." He held out the box for the slightly stunned blond to take.

"Oh, thank you," he said distantly, taking the box. He knew that Klaus could not have contacted Raeger, because the perfumer was off on a week-long trip and would not be back for another three days. Surely Raeger knew that. He was obviously lying, although Mistel had no idea why he would. Cautiously, he opened the box, to see a plate of Penne all'Arrabbiata. Purple eyes widened with surprise and joy, a smile breaking out on his face.

"This is my favorite! Thank you very much, Raeger," he said, instinctively employing the politeness that won him so many customers in the past. "How much is this? I expect you'll want me to pay extra for the home delivery." He would rather not pay the extra, but if offering to do so would get the thoughtful man in front of him to bring him more ion the future, then he would do so gladly.

"What? Oh no, you don't have to do that, Mistel. I did this for free, actually."

"Oh, did you? How thoughtful! I'll definitely repay you for this, Raeger!" His smile turned more real this time, instead of the one used for acquaintances and customers. It still had traces of being a mask, although much less so. This was the first time he had ever done this for anyone who was not family, and the slight shock showed on the other's face.

"Oh. Well, if you ever need anything, I'm on call. Have a nice evening, Mistel." With that, the chef turned and abruptly left the building, although the blond could tell that it as not meant in a rude manner.

Taking his favorite dish to the desk, Mistel pulled away the blanket and sat down again. His gaze turned to the little figure in front of the restaurant. Taking it into a slender hand, the antique shop owner moved it much closer to his own home. "I think I like you, Raeger," he murmured to himself, smirking. "You and I will have a lot of fun together, I'm sure of it."

* * *

 _Thank you for clicking on this little story! Most of this was inspired by Mastermind by super maria, currently known as Chaos Inventor. I had come up with the concept on my own, but some of that story helped me progress things along. I hope you enjoy this. If you did, please check out this amazing person's work out, too._


	2. Chapter Two

The nest day started as normally as any other day for Raeger. The sun came in and he got up, tidying up his restaurant and grabbing breakfast for himself before business opened. Fritz ran in too early again, and Raeger had to shoo him away for another hour, like usual. Everything was proceeding as expected. Until it wasn't.

Without warning the door of the restaurant slammed open, banging against the wall. Through the space the door occupied ran a frazzled-looking blonde girl whose face he knew well. She was scowling, grumbling under her breath as she stomped into the restaurant. "You there!" she shouted at the startled chef. "Have you seen a cow running through here?!"

"No?" Raeger replied, more in question.

"Well, if you do, make sure to give it back! My cattle may be of superior quality, but it is still mine! I don't want you using it for any ingredients!" With that, she stalked away,slamming the abused door behind her.

"My cattle may be of superior quality, but it is still mine!" Raeger mocked under his breath. He finished wiping off the counters, muttering to himself. Honestly, Elise pushed him to far sometimes.

"Elise giving you trouble?" came a voice from the doorway, making Raeger whip around in shock.

Leaning against the counter was the very man he had visited last night, fake smile and all. His eyes, however, showed some sympathy and another emotion that Raeger could not quite place.

The chef sighed deeply, setting down the cloth in his hands. "Yes, I guess you could say that."

"Something in particular happen?" the blond probed, setting down the box in his hands on the counter.

"I'm not quite sure. She just left after charging in here accusing me about taking her cow or something of the sort." His earlier anger had faded to amusement as he analyzed the situation. He glanced over at Mistel, who glanced back.

"I was not aware she even knew her cows existed," Mistel said with a chuckle, poking a jab at the rich blonde.

"Neither was I," Raeger counted with a chuckle. A part of him felt guilty about mocking another town member. However, there was the side that this was Elise. She wasn't the nicest person in town, and very few people liked her. It's not like she was here, so why not poke a little fun with someone who obviously didn't like her either. "I honestly thought she just delegated all the work to her servants and walked away!"

"You mean, she doesn't?" Mistel countered with comically-wide eyes. "I don't know if I can believe that!"

Raeger laughed at that, covering his mouth to fight back the peals of laughter. He hadn't talked to Mistel for long, but his demeanor was immediately likable to him. He didn't know why, but it seemed like he finally had common ground with the mysterious blond. He did wonder why the other went out of his way to approach him, however.

Suddenly, both boys stopped talking as they heard the door slowly close. They turned in unison to see Lillie glaring daggers at them, hands shaking."Why do you have to be so cruel?" she scolded, mostly at Raeger. "Elise may not be the nicest, but you don't have to talk about her! Especially you, Raeger! How could you!" With that, she spun and walked away.

Mistel stood by the counter, eyes widened in shock. Lillie never came into the restaurant this early. This was unexpected. Why did this happen? He took short breaths as he saw all his plans fall apart. That is, until he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Hey, don't let her get to you, alright? It was my fault that this happened, not yours. She'll cool down in a while, alright? I would be willing to talk to you again, although perhaps about something different."

Mistel nodded, though the other's words filled him with shock. Raeger was certainly a lot different than he first intended. Cruel yet kind at the same time. That was certainly strange. He wondered if he could make use of that in the future.

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 **Yay, chapter two so soon! Don't be afraid to share your thoughts!**


	3. Chapter Three

**Hey, just wanted to clear up a confusion. I know that some people misunderstood some things, and I just want to clarify some things!**

 **1- In case anyone read a certain review on Mastermind, that was _analytical_ , not angry. I tend to come across as too blunt, however, so I can see why that was misunderstood.**

 **2- I am not ripping off super maria! A lot of people have similar concepts, and I has thought of a plot using mastermind!mistel before I read Mastermind. She just gave the inspiration to write!**

 **3- Our plots are most certainly going to be different, I've made sure of that.**

 **4- super maria also agrees with me about the not-ripping off thing. I asked her myself.**

 **Now that's over, I hope everyone continues to enjoy this story! Especially my inspiration. Thank you so much for helping me get the gears turning and actually write for a change!**

* * *

Mistel stood there for a moment, gears whirring. He was the reason why this person got yelled at by a friend of theirs. Why is he not angry? It didn't make sense why the other would calmly accept what happened and be concerned for _Mistel_ , instead of himself. It just didn't make sense! If he was in Raeger's situation, he would throw the other under the bus and walk away. What is possibly so different about the two of them? He knew that Raeger was much kinder than he was, but he was also mean. He tried ripping off Raeger's kind mask, but he was still showing it. Why?

This puppet was not acting as expected, and Mistel was internally panicking. Why didn't he see this coming? Is there something he'd missed. There still left the part where Mistel initiated something by messing with Elise. He also encouraged Raeger to vent through mockery. This was his fault. Without even thinking, those rarely-meant words fell from his lips.

"I'm sorry," he blurted, forgetting that Raeger most likely did not blame him for what happened there.

"Don't worry about it!" Raeger said, smiling brightly at the other. However, Mistel knew he'd messed up, as the customer smile he'd tried to remove was back again. Although, it was not back completely. "It's not like you tried to get me yelled at it. It my fault for continuing the mockery, anyway. I'm about to open in a moment, would you like anything to eat since you're here?" He smiled, but Mistel felt that it was faker than it should be, for some reason.

"No, I already ate," he lied, hoping to get out of there.

 _Wrong answer._

Raeger looked a little guilty at Mistel's response, suspecting a lie. However, he quickly suppressed it with a smile. "Oh, very well! I hope to see you later, then! Good bye, Mistel!" This was not the plan. He was feeling.. off today. He wondered why distantly, but pushed it away.

"Oh.. yes, of course. I'll head back now. I'll be sure to show up for dinner, though." With that, the blond turned numbly to the door and walked away. All he was trying to do was gauge how much like him Raeger was. Then of course to forge a deeper interest through interaction. How could he mess up so badly?

Without paying much attention to what he was doing, the antique shop owner entered his shop, and started up the stairs. He stopped, however, when he saw Iris standing at the top, leaning on the stair rail. "Good morning Iris!" he greeted pleasantly, a smile plastered fakely on his face. He did care for his sister, but she had a habit of interrupting his plans and annoying him at the absolute worst times.

Iris did not return the smile, a scolding frown on her face. "I happened to run into Lillie a few minutes ago," she said disapprovingly.

Mistel's stomach churned in his gut. The last thing he wanted was a lecture from his sister about 'proper behavior' or anything of the sort. He could take care of himself, thank you very much.

"Yes, what about it? We were in a conversation that she had no business listening in on. It was her fault if she disliked it," Mistel said curtly, letting his smile fall. He should have expected a confrontation from Iris about that.

"The issue wasn't that she heard it Mistel, and you know that! Even if you dislike Elise, talking about her is rude and horrible! I thought better of you! I know for a fact that our parents raised you to be better."

 _No, they raised me to hide who I am._

Internally, Mistel scoffed. She had no idea how he actually was. He had no intention of her doing so, either. Externally, he bowed his head, acting ashamed of himself. "I'm sorry, it won't happen again." _That you know of, at the very least._

"I trust you, just make sure it doesn't. I'd hate to have to tell off Raeger for making you become so horrible."

"I assure you that he had nothing to do with it," the blond boy said, an edge appearing in his voice as he sidled up the stairs. "I will keep that in mind, however." He walked over to his desk, intent on continuing his work.

Iris was not satisfied with that response, however. She followed him to his desk, and stepped in front of it, blocking his path. Giving him another disapproving look, she crossed her arms. As that so often did, that motion unconsciously drew attention to her breasts. Mistel mentally rolled his eyes. _And she wonders why so many men hit on her_.

"That isn't enough, Mistel," she stressed. "I've been worried for a while that you don't have any friends here! Then you finally ta-"

"I do have a friend," Mistel cut in, glaring. "There's Agate." He wouldn't personally call Agate a friend, but they both very often fell on that excuse, to keep Iris away from things she need not be aware of.

"Well, Agate hasn't been here for a while, has she? You need some other friends. Proper ones, not people who will encourage you to talk badly about others!" She seemed passionate about this, her voice raising and she took a step forward. Mistel did not step back, however, intent on holding his ground. He knew very well what he was doing, and she needed to stay out of it.

Mistel's hands clenched against his will, showing how angered he truly was. Biting back a growl, he started to pull out his chair, pushing it against his sister's hip. "I said he had nothing to do with it, so you need to stop blaming him," she said firmly. "Now, I have work to do. Shouldn't you be writing some story or something?" The question came out harsher than intended, making her flinch at the force of it.

"I still don't know what work you do at that desk all day," she whispered, eyes downcast. "But I do know where I'm not wanted. I will leave you alone, if whatever you're doing is so important to you. Just remember that we're family, and I'll always care for you. Even if you act like a brat."

 _Not if you knew the truth, you wouldn't._

A stiff nod was the only answer he gave his sister, sitting down firmly in his chair once she had moved away. Once her footsteps carried her far enough away, he pulled back the blanket that lay over his desk. He had messed up a few things today, unfortunately. However, he had some other cards up his sleeve. He was good, he was okay. All he needed to do was play with a few other pieces, farther away from home. Fix things, without a direct approach.

Purple eyes fell on the pink-clad girl standing next to the old woman at the top of the hill. A sinister smile crept up on his face. A slender hand grabbed one of the pieces on the hill and moved it to the inn in a smooth motion. That piece knocked down another, which was oddly appropriate given which one it was.

 _Perfect. Now, to move a few less important pieces..._

He was okay. He was fine. He was the Puppetmaster of Oak Tree Town. There were some blunders today, but he could make up for it. No, he _would_ make up for them. Mistel Onolee did _not_ have off-days.

* * *

 **:') I have a habit of giving characters last names...**

 **I'm sorry for having it short, I promise to make things longer soon! I have to go watch my sister's talent show now, so hope you liked the chapter. Please let me know if you did!**


	4. Chapter Four

Sunshine filtered in on the large, expansive farm as a spoiled blonde lay sprawled on her bed. It was growing late into the afternoon, but it was not her problem to care about. After all, the servants knew what they were doing. If they could not do their job on their own, then it was their fault. Not hers.

Soon, however, the peaceful-looking blonde's slumber was interrupted by a loud crash outside her door. She lugged herself out of bed, sighing deeply. In a few groggy steps she made it to the door and opened it, seeing two servant girls cleaning up a shattered vase and talking. The hot-tempered girl was a step away from screaming her lungs off when she suddenly heard a trace of the conversation that caught her interest.

"Are you serious, Janet? Mistel was talking about our Lady that way? I knew he was bold, but I never thought even he had that much courage!"

Perfectly tuned blonde eyebrows shot to the top of Elise's forehead as she took another step closer. Mistel was talking about her? She assumed it was nothing good, from what those servants (whose names she couldn't be bothered to remember) were saying. She would just listen in for a minute or two and find out _what_ he said before telling him off herself.

"Yes, he did! I don't know what about, though! I do know that Lillie stepped in and told Raeger and Mistel off for our Lady!" The other brunet girl said in hushed excitement, her eyes wide.

"I never would have thought! I knew Miss Lillie was kind, but I never knew she would go so far as to defend our lady!"

"She really is a saint, isn't she?"

"Yeah, she is! I wish I could be like her someday." The servant girl finished sweeping and stood up at that, brushing off her dress. Neither of them had seen Elise yet, who was infuriated and red-faced.

"Lillie told those idiots off in place of me?!" she suddenly shouted, irate. Her arms shook by her sides as she stood there in her nightgown. "What does she think she is, she isn't on my level! How dare she try and act that way!"

The servants jump[ed at her screeching, and paled in horror as to what their Lady was saying. Did she not understand kind gestures at all? She seemed to think the entire world was about her, and did not understand why anyone would want to help her. Then again, they should not be so surprised. After all, they had worked for her long enough.

Thankfully, they had enough sense to get out of their outraged boss' way as she stormed down the stairs to get dressed. They felt a strange sense of dread at this behavior, especially in relation to their jobs. One, the girl names Janet, turned to the other with wide eyes.

"Do you think out lady will fire us, Bea?"

"I don't know," she whispered, tugging on her plain brown hair. "Maybe we shouldn't have said what we heard, even if it was your brother who told us..."

"I wonder who he heard it from, anyway?" Janet wondered, biting her lip.

Any response from the girl called Bea was promptly cut off by a shriek from Elise for someone to find her slippers. With a joint sigh of resignation, the two trudged downstairs. If they were still employed by the end of the day, then they would vow never to gossip again, especially within eyesight of the manor.

Thankfully for the servant girls, things progressed relatively smoothly. About an hour later, the serene and quiet inn was suddenly interrupted by a door slamming open and a pink-clad demon storming into the main lobby. Needless to say, those present were surprised. What business did Elise Tuyll have in the inn? After a few moments of silence, Lillie got up and greeted the blonde at the door.

"Good morning, Elise!" the weathergirl chirped, a ready smile on her face. "Is there something you needed? I don't see you here often!" her tone was open and friendly, even more so as she remembered the way Raeger and Mistel had talked about the other before.

To her surprise, however, Elise's annoyed face morphed into an enraged scowl. "That's exactly what I was here for! How dare you tell off Raeger in my place! You are not my baby-sitter, and I hope you keep that in mind! I will take care of my business, which you should keep out of!" As she spoke, Elise's voice rose in pitch to the point that she was practically screeching. Her whole aura was that of a spoiled child, and kind though Lillie may be, she would not hesitate to point that out.

"Cut that out, Elise! You're acting like a brat, as much as I hate to say it! All I was trying to do was help you out, because people were being mean to you! I know it might feel like something different, but try to understand! I'm not pitying you, I just wanted to help." At that last comment, Lillie sounded desperate, clearly hurt by the blonde's words. She shook as she shouted, trying desperately to keep her cool.

"Well, no one asked you to help, did they?" came the snide reply. "If you really want to help, then stay out of things that you don't need to mess with. You'll just mess things up if you do, anyway." With that, Elise stalked away, leaving a shocked Lillie with tears pricking at her eyes.

"What- What did I do?" she whispered helplessly, hands shaking. She had tried for so long to reach out to people, and now Elise was mad at her for helping. Did she do something wrong? What could she have possibly done to deserve this treatment?

As the girl suffered in the lobby, with pitying eyes watching her, the other girl in the exchange did not leave unscathed either. Although, only a skilled hand would be able to pick her up again and patch her wounds. Thankfully, this was planned for, and Mistel had just the puppet for the job.

* * *

 _I am sorry about how horrible Elise is right now. I also know that Mistel and Raeger haven't shown up in this chapter, but they'll show up again very soon. I'm experimenting with having multiple different plotlines that occur at the same time being featured, as I've never done this like this before. I hope nothing has been too confusing so far, and I wish you happy reading. Next chapter will come as soon as I can write it all._


	5. Chapter Five

On the counter inside Raeger's restaurant was a simple box, almost exactly like the one he had taken a meal down to Mistel in just a few days ago. As he moved forward to investigate, he found that it _was_ the same box. Upon opening it, however, he found different contents than expected. Surprised, he raised his eyebrows and unloaded the dishes inside.

There was the plate and silverware he had used, but also a different set of dishes. There was an elegant silver colored fork with a rose pattern at the end, as well as a light green bowl with pink roses around the rim. Inside the bowl was a dish that Raeger knew well, and he was certain he knew who sent it. After all, there was Sea Urchin Bowl in the box, his favorite food. What better way to repay a free delivery of a favorite dish than to return the favor?

Unpacking the rest, the brunet noticed a neatly folded note fall onto the counter. He could not very well pick it up with his hands full of dishes, so he quickly went and took care of everything. With a skilled hand, he washed the dishes, wondering what the note said. Most likely a polite thank you, or an apology for making Raeger upset, although that was not the case. He had a feeling that Mistel blamed himself for things too often and commonly for things that he shouldn't be upset about.

It took a little bit, as he almost dropped the dishes due to being distracted, but the chef finally finished washing and drying his dishes that Mistel so thoughtfully returned. They already looked washed, but he wanted to make sure. After he dried his hands with a towel, he finally sat down and began to read the note, eating with his other hand. It was much different than the simple 'thank you' that he expected, or maybe some statement that Iris had made him something. It would not be the first time.

 _Raeger-_

 _I'm sure you already know that this is to repay that dish you made me a few days ago. I would also like to thank you for approaching me and being friendly, as it happens less than you may think. Although if you want to act like you don't notice when I stop by, you should review your cover story for any flaws. For example, saying that someone out of town contacted you about my staying in late._

The chef let out an embarrassed chuckle at that, smiling. He had hoped that Mistel hadn't noticed the slip up that he'd only realized himself once he was back home. Trying to approach a man like Mistel wasn't easy, as he had a reputation for pushing others away. He had tried to come up with a reasonable excuse for his being there, besides his own observance and that he always noticed when Mistel entered his restaurant. Unfortunately, that normally fail-safe excuse just happened to be used on a day in which it would fail, miserably. Taking another bite of food, he continued to read.

 _I've actually been meaning to talk to you for a while. As I'm sure you've noticed, I have barely any friends here, and was wondering if you would like to get to know me better. Wow, I guess that sounds more suggestive on paper than I meant. Anyway, it's completely optional. I am sure you won't have time as you do have a lot of friends to interact with, but I thought there was no harm in me asking._

The way Mistel presented himself on paper made him seem so much more self conscious than Raeger could ever have imagined. Maybe the reason why Mistel had so few friends, and isolated himself off from the world, was because he was scared. This was an unexpected realization, making Raeger gasp and almost choke on his rice. He used to be like that once, too scared to reach out and make friends. Maybe that's why Mistel caught his interest so badly.

 _If my some off chance you don't mind 'hanging out' as Fritz says, then I just happen to have this Wednesday off. Should you have time, pay me a visit. Watch out for screeching women, however._

 _-M_

Raeger was touched by the contents of the letter. Really, it was very sweet. The screeching women comment, however, had his eyebrows shoot so far up that they forgot that they belonged on his forehead. What exactly could the antique shop owner mean by that? Well, the only way was for him to find out. As the bowl of rice and sea urchin had finally dwindled down to being empty, Raeger decided it would be better to just wash the dishes and go now. The restaurant wasn't open today, after all.

It only took him about ten minutes to get everything washed, but there were some other preparations that took a little more than an hour to complete. Those safely out of the way, the chef finally made it out of the building. He also made it by the inn just in time to hear the end of Elise's screeching, and see her run down the road and towards the river, tears pricking at her eyes.

"My, my, is something the matter with Elise?" Raeger quickly looked down to see Eda, looking concerned. He sighed, unsure what to say.

"I don't know. she did seem upset, however." As an afterthought, he begrudgingly added, "I could go after her?"

"Oh no dearie," she said with a shake of her head. "You're clearly on the way to visit someone, most likely some girl that's caught your eye. Go spend time with her. I've raised a few children in my time, I'm sure I can calm her down."

There were no words for the feeling of immense relief that Raeger felt at not having to deal with Elise, but he tried to bite back that expression. "I hope that goes well for you, ma'am. I do have somewhere to be.. Although not a girlfriend."

The old woman's eyes twinkled with delight and amusement. "If that's what you say, dear. Now, I am going to calm down that poor young lady, and get to the root of this. You have fun on your date." She walked away at that, leaving Raeger alone to mutter how this was _not_ a date.

With a grudging sigh he walked away, wondering what he got himself into. He was not wondering, however, how Mistel knew Elise would be screeching.

* * *

Meanwhile, Eda was doing what she did best, besides farming. She was a parent at heart, and wanted nothing more than to console this young girl who seemed so distraught. She set off down the path, albeit moving slowly due to her sore back. She got a little dizzy at one point during the trek, but she managed to keep herself standing. After about an hour of scouring the countryside, the old woman saw the object of her search. Looking lost and alone, Elise was sitting on the dock behind the rice patties. As a mother, this scene twisted the old woman's heart.

"Are you alright darling?" she asked in a kind voice, walking over. "I will always listen, if you have something to say."

That seemed to shock the blonde. Her head snapped up, and she looked over at Eda with wide eyes. It seemed that no one had ever said that to her before. That filled the older woman with such sorrow. No matter her position, Elise was a child. She needed love and attention, not just possessions.

Her reply was slow, but when it did some, it came with a forced calm that was holding back the tears. "I wonder how many people in this town think I'm weak. They don't even believe me capable of defending myself, much less farming. I hate being pitied. Why does everyone keep pitying me?!" she cried out, tears beginning to fall again.

The woman scooped her up in her arms, now sitting almost beside the girl. "It's alright, darling. I know you're going through a hard time now. But I know that no one in this town would ever pity you. You're a strong woman, you just need to take off the edge."

"N-no," the blonde sobbed in despair, hugging her knees. "They'll look down on me no matter what I do. I try so hard to make them respect me, then Lillie tries to act like the h-hero and s-save me from being talked about, l-like she'd get a medal or something. I don't want to be the reason someone else l-looks good." Tears were raining down faster now, shaking the poor girl as she leaned against the older woman's hold.

"Did she now?" Eda said kindly, petting Elise's long hair. "I don't think so."

This stopped Elise cold. "B-but, she said-"

"She said that she was trying to help, didn't she?" the older farmer said, her tone dripping with understanding.

Elise nodded softly, not trusting her words. Sitting here in Eda's arms was more comfortable than she had ever thought. She had no idea why she was confiding in the elder. Maybe it was the way she acted like Elise's own grandmother, who had passed a few years ago.

"I may not know the situation, Love. But I do know Lillie. She would never help anyone for the sake of her own reputation. I'm sure she was just concerned about you."

Those words made a sick feeling churn in her gut. She was so horrible to the girl. All she had wanted was to be kind, something Elise now knew she had known nothing about.

"Now now, don't go making those faces, dear. All you have to do to make things right is go apologize. You do owe her that much, don't you?" The woman was wise and kind, and the soothing aura she let out relaxed the blonde until she was able to offer a genuine smile to the older farmer.

"Thank you, Eda. Very much. I'm sorry for acting so foolish." There were a few moments of silence before the crucial thought left the blonde's lips. "I guess that messing up is the only thing I'm really good at. And I talk to highly about myself, too."

"No, no! That is not true, love. Everyone makes mistakes, but that doesn't mean that's all you're good at," the old woman soothed, murmuring into the younger's hair. "You are a beautiful, strong young lasy and one day you will be the very best farmer you can be. I promise you that."

Even though the words most likely meant nothing to the old woman, they relaxed the blonde without her really knowing the reason why. "Thank you," she said again, pulling herself up. "I did not mean to trouble you. I will be on my way now."

She hurriedly set off down the path back to town. Any other person would be annoyed, or concerned. However, Eda saw the signs. A resolute look stuck itself on Elise's china doll face, and it was clear. She would own up for her mistakes, no matter how much pride she had to swallow. After all, she owed that much to Eda for hearing her out.

Somewhere a ways away, a blond boy smiled smugly. He always had a sense for when things went well, and he knew that yet another puppet moving exactly as planned.

* * *

 _This one was longer than expected! I hope you like it, as I was looking forward to writing this chapter. I think that Elise only ever needed a shoulder to cry on, an adult who would listen to her and raise her properly. If everything goes well, hopefully they will continue to make steps in that direction._

 _I believe that Elise instinctively trusts Eda, and would most certainly spill after an emotionally taxing experience like a temper tantrum._


	6. Chapter Six

_"Fritz, you really should be more careful," came a soft yet scolding voice from the clinic. "This cut on your arm could have been a lot worse, and if no one had noticed then it could have gotten infected. You need to pay more attention to your injuries, or I will drive myself insane."As she spoke, Angela helped stitch up the large cut running down a certain redheaded farmer's left arm. Marian was out of town for the day, so Angela was the only one on duty._

 _"I'm sorry, Angela," Fritz murmured, looking down. "I was just looking at the fish, then agate said hello, so I fell. I tried to pull myself up, but all I got was the dock cutting my arm." He tried his best to explain what happened, while simultaneously trying not to look at the nurse in the eyes. He had known her since they were kids, and she always treated him like her responsibility. he knew the lecture was going to come, whether he was willing to hear it or not._

 _Surprisingly, however. It didn't. Angela just sighed deeply, hanging her head. "Then that wasn't really your fault, was it..." she murmured to herself. "I can't very well tell you to be more careful when it was an accident that would have happened to anyone."_

 _He had no idea why, but the words made something twist in my gut. "H-hey, you can lecture me if you want! I mean, maybe it'll drum something into my skull," he said with a cheery grin, burying pride and other useless things. He really did had when Angela was upset._

 _She sighed deeply, locking his gaze. "I'd rather not," she murmured. Suddenly, she was leaning forward, towards him. Hands reached up and wrapped around his neck, and her mouth grew closer to the others. Right before their lips touched, she whispered-_

"Agate! Hey!" A cheerful voice cut through the musings of a certain ranger as she walked into even turning, she knew exactly who it was. She did not feel up to talking to the other girl right now, but she couldn't just act like she didn't hear her friend.

"Good morning, Lillie!" she chirped, raising her hand in greeting. Her face lit up in a smile atht seemed sincere through years of rpactice.

'Oh my god! I've missed you sooo much!" the weather girl squealed, clapping her hands. "Do you wanna hang out? We can go to the safari, like you like! Or we can go on a walk and catch up!" Her shrill voice only made Agate's current headache worse, and all she wanted to do was take a nap. She didn't hate Lillie by any means. No, they were best friends. However there were sometimes where she really, really wanted to be left alone.

 _Oh, yes! There's my escape._

By pure chance, Agate looked up and saw Klaus walking down the road. He glanced up and saw her panicked look, quickly getting the message. In a few smooth movements he walked over, a smile on his face. "Good morning, Agate! Are you feeling alright? You look tired. Have you rested properly?"

Those words made Lillie's eyes light up in concern and she realized how selfish she must have seemed. "I'm so sorry, Agate! I didn't even realize! You should go home and rest. We'll talk later!"

Feigning reluctance, she puller her face into a frown. "Are you sure? I'm well enough if you want to hang out today."

"No, don't be silly! You just came back from a long trip. You should rest! I'll see you later!"

Agate nodded slowly, sighing. "Alright, if you're sure. See you tomorrow!" With that she waved and turned around, Klaus following behind her. They were quiet until they reached the other end of town, where they could finally speak freely.

"I assume you want to speak to Mistel before you rest," Klaus said with a knowing smile.

Agate flushed red, looking at the ground. "W-well, I was thinking of stopping by! B-but it's just because we're friends, and-" Her frantic words were cut off by a soft chuckle.

"Oh don't worry, Iris won't know. Now you go and say hello. You'll have a few hours alone, if I'm any judge." Klaus did not seem perturbed about hiding this from his best friend, although it was for a valid reason. He gave another smile and left for his house, sure that things would go well.

Agate wasted no time in letting herself inside, bounding up the stairs to where she saw Mistel at his desk. She quietly made her way over, wrapping her arms around him. "Miss me?" she murmured with a grin, watching the blond's face light up with surprise.

"Agate!" he said in surprise, pulling her into a better angle for a light kiss on the cheek. "I did not expect you back. You do love to surprise me, don't you."

She giggled, moving into his lap. "Yup! I have a new idea for some people you could set up, if you have a moment," she murmured happily, resting her head on Mistel's shoulder.

"Oh, do tell. After all, you know I love when you contribute to my little puppet shows."

She giggled at that, shifting to be more comfortable. They had been discreetly having some sort of relationship for the last three years, though it was mostly for the physical contact and to share ideas.

"That I do. Angela and Fritz seem perfectly fitted for each other. Goddess knows that they interact enough to know each other well."

"That is a good point," Mistel mused, smiling. "Things have grown.. boring, without you around, you know."

"I doubt it. You have a habit of entertaining yourself when I'm busy."

In response to that, however, the blond just sighed and absentmindedly moved a piece into another building. "Yes, but it does get frightfully dull," he complained, resting his chin on her shoulder.

"Then make friends, and you won't have to depend on my all the time." This was the expected response. and it seemed that it always will be. This was a long standing argument that Mistel was determined to win by out-stubborning the girl.

"I don't make friends, Agate. You know that."

"Yes, I know. I don't think that you really believe that all humans are puppets. There's me, after all."

"We, however, are not friends."

"True. We're... lovers, I guess. It sounds so weird when I say it though!"

"It would, since we hide this from Iris and everyone else." At his sister's name, Mistel's brows furrowed. Memories of the conversation before flew through his head. She was probably still mad, as he hadn't talked to her.

They sat there in silence for a little while, before a polite cough was head behind them. The two flew apart as fast as possible as they turned to see who disturbed them. "i'm sorry for interrupting, but I was invited," Raeger said, an embarrassed smile on his face.

* * *

 _I had this bit planned out for a little while. Now, I know that Mistel/Agate is not in the relationships tag thing. I will get to that as the plot goes along. I've updated twice in one day, which I am proud of myself for. Thank you, writing hours amongst friends. They encourage you to... well, actually write._


	7. Chapter Seven

Secretly, Lillie was worried and upset. She had hoped that Agate would distract her so she did not have to think about Elise and the incident that took place there. That was a horrible thought, however, as she'd just tried to use her friend instead of enjoy her company. It did no good for her to run from her problems, but she kept trying to. With a deep breath, she realized what she had to do. Even if she had not meant to offend Elise, the other had been offended. She owed the other an apology, whether she liked it or not.

With that realization, she left the Trade Depot where she had been looking at some Silk Country goods. Her eyes glanced around, desperately trying to find the other girl. _And to get this over with._ As she searched, Lillie noticed feeling oddly warm. However, she just brushed it off and continued looking.

It took her a while to track down the girl. She had wandered over into the west side of town, briefly running into Raeger on the way. He was going to visit Mistel, which left her with a bitter taste in her mouth. That boy was corrupting Raeger, even if he couldn't see it. However, that wasn't her problem right now.

More villagers passed by, each one stopping by to chat. However, none of them were Elise. It was more likely at this point that Elise was out by the mountain trail, as she was not in her manor.

With that in find, she walked outside,. Just in time to run into Elise. Or more, have Elise run into her. Without warning, she had gone from standing up to sitting down, where her behind painfully hit the road.

"Oww," she complained instinctively, looking around. As she looked up, she quickly saw the reason for her predicament. A shocked Elise stood above her, mouth open.

"Lillie!" she said, as if shocked. "I wasn't expecting you here!"

"Elise," she began slowly, looking down as she hauled herself up. "I have something to say to you, about earlier."

Before she had a chance to speak, the other cut her off. "No, I have something to say first. I'm sure you're hear to tell me off for being ruse. I- I was being rude. But.. I have to take responsibility for my actions." She looked down, taking a deep breath. "I.. I'm sorry for yelling at you, Lillie."

Lillie stood there in shock, certain the running river had distorted the other's words or that she had simply been too distracted to think properly. Elise was apologizing to her, it seemed. As much as the weather girl hated to admit it, that just did not seem plausible. After all, the blonde was so irate before.

"I'm sorry, what did you say?" she asked slowly, blinking in surprise. That only seemed to make the blonde more embarrassed, and some anger showed on the other's face.

"You heard me!' she snapped, blushing in embarrassment. Looking down, the richer girl forced herself to say it again. "I said... I said I'm sorry," she mumbled, hiding her face in her hair. She felt so ashamed of herself, and Lillie could see that clearly. In turn, Lillie felt bad for being so mean in her thoughts.

"I forgive you," she managed, realizing it was more true than she thought. Elise was turning out not to be as bad as she originally thought. At least, for right now. However, nothing this nice could ever last with Elise.

In the span it takes to blink, Elise's bashful face turned to one of arrogance. Simply a mask thrown over what's there, but used so often that it was nearly impossible for someone unskilled to see through. "Well, goo!" she scoffed, turning away. "If you didn't, I would have to wonder about your intelligence. Thankfully you're smart enough to know it forgive when someone as rich as I says something of that nature!"

" _She wouldn't like me even if she got close to me anyway,_ " Lillie piped up, looking annoyed but otherwise not bothered.

"What?" the blonde suddenly snapped, She whipped around, cheeks as pale as the snow. She met Lillie's set yet disapproving face.

"That's what you're thinking, right?" she asked, tilting her head. "That's why you act so rude all the time, right? Since you're scared to get close.

"H- How- Why-" Elise stuttered helplessly, gaping like a fish. _How would Lillie know?_

"Oh, so it is true. You know, you shouldn't try to hide your true self from others, just because you think they won't like you," Lillie scolded, crossing her arms. "You will never know unless you try, right? So start being a child and start trying!" *****

Of all the responses the anti-social blonde expected to receive, a scolding was most certainly not one of them. She actually froze for a moment, mouth opening and closing in befuddlement. She had been meaning to stalk away dramatically, but the words had stopped her in her tracks. "..What?" she finally managed to respond, blinking slowly.

"It's not too complex, Elise. If you want people to like you for you, the first step is letting them see the rel you! I don't think the real you is the girl who makes snide remarks and makes people miserable. I think you're a good person inside, but you don't know how to show it." She had most certainly not thought that this morning, but recent interactions had started to slightly change her mind. "If you could do that, then we could be friends. Alright?" She stuck out her hand in offer of friendship.

 _What a peculiar girl._

After a moment's hesitation, Elise reached forward to take the other's hand. "Very well, we will play it your way. However, do expect how to learn not to be such a pushover," the blonde commented airily.

Internally, Lillie sighed. You could try all you like with Elise, but she seemed to perpetually have that less-than-savory side to her on , one day, she could outgrow that.

* * *

 ***Favorite line in this fanfic so far**

 _FunFactWithJJ#1- Puppet master!Mistel's character ws inspired by both Ciel Phantomhive [Black Butler] and Izaya Orihara [Durarara]._

 _FunFactWithJJ#2- I was going to combine two chapters into one so that Mistel and Raeger could sneak in here, along with Iris. However, I thought I'd just keep them separate._

 _Hope you likes this, and have a wonderful rest of your day._


	8. Chapter Eight

Well, this was a predicament. If Mistel didn't know better, he'd start to believe his grip on details really _had_ been some inexplicable reason, it had completely slipped his mind that he had invited the other over today. In hindsight, he had messed up a few details, lately. Thankfully, he was planning to make up for that. Mentally slapping himself, he quickly put on the most false painfully false smile he'd ever used.

"Good afternoon, Raeger!" he chirped brightly, still trying to distance himself from Agate. The latter was also doing so. In fact, she had managed to get on the other end of the room, and was desperately attempting to embed herself in the wall. Raeger, on the other hand, found this highly amusing. He hoped they knew that no one was being fooled by their little act. After all, getting off someone's lap did not undo you getting on the other's lap in the first place.

"Good morning, Mistel," the grinning chef replied, not even attempting to hide his amusement. "If you are busy with your girlfriend right now, I can always come back lately. I understand being.. preoccupied." The implications of that pause were absolutely shameless, and Mistel could just see the other's grin widen into a smirk.

"That will not be necessary," Mistel gritted out, face aflame. _Why did this have to happen today of all days..._

"Alright, if you're sure!" If Mistel hadn't seen that the chef was capable of great kindness, the blond would have thought that he was sadistic to his very core, from that statement alone. He was taking too much pleasure in the puppet master's misery. How was that even legal again?

"I'm very sure," he snapped firmly, refusing to look at Agate. "So, are we going to go?" _Let's just ignore the situation and it will go away._

The chef seemed to realize he wasn't going to get much but an angry Mistel if he kept pushing. Fortunately for the other, he backed off, offering a less sadistic smile. "Very well, we can go now. Have you had anything to eat recently?"

"You do care a lot about how much I eat, don't you Raeger?" Mistel chuckled, hiding some of the laughter behind his hand. It was funny to him how a man he had barely spoken to seemed to be so concerned about his well-being. "I have, however, so there's no need to worry."

At that Raeger suddenly looked more a little embarrassed, chuckling as he rubbed his neck. "I wouldn't necessarily say I worried..." he mumbled. He smiled sheepishly, looking at the ground.

"You two act like more of a couple than Mistel and I do together!" Agate laughed suddenly, moving from her place on the wall.

"No we don't!" This indignation came from both males involved, only making the girl laugh harder.

"Whatever you say, guys!" In one smooth movement, the girl pushed away from the wall and found her feet. Cheerily, the ranger bounded past the pair and stood at the top of the steps. Then she saluted, giving her boyfriend a wave goodbye. "Well, I gotta go now, so goodbye! Have fun, boys!"

With that the brunette raced downstairs, leaving the puppet master and the chef to stand there in silence. They looked at each other, considering what to do next. After a moment they got over the shock of the moment, and continued down the steps. Neither was paying attention to where they were going, so they should not have been surprised when they almost knocked poor Iris off the steps.

"H-hey!" the woman shouted in surprise, grabbing the railing to stay standing. "You should look where you're going!" she scolded, giving Mistel a disapproving look.

"I'm sorry, sister," he said sweetly, bright smile lighting up his face as he tilted his head. Next to him, Raeger shuddered at the tension in the area. He could feel it coming off the pair.

"Oh, no problem Mistel," Iris replied just as sweetly. The irritation from both family members was thinly masked by smiles that just looked slightly scary. "Are you heading out?"

"Yes, I am. Raeger and I both have the day off, since I decided not to open the shop today." When his name was stated, the chef noticed a slight haughty tone to Mistel's speech. Did something happen that he was unaware of?

"Well, I wish you a good time, then. Good afternoon, Raeger." Without another word, the novelist swept up the stairs, almost pushing Raeger as he tried to move out of her way in time.

"What was that?" the brunet whispered as Iris swept out of hearing range.

"Oh, that? We had a of of a spat recently, and have yet to come to an agreement," Mistel said by way of explanation. With that he finished walking downstairs and strode to the door. he opened it wide, bowing deeply in a playful gesture.

"After you."

Raeger gave a half-smile, amused. Walking out the door, he lightly cuffed Mistel around the head. The blond seemed to find that more amusing than necessary, and his laughter rang up the stairs.

Meanwhile, Iris was upstairs, muttering furiously to herself. A quick glance to her side showed an unfamiliar sight: The project on the desk was uncovered. That was terribly uncommon. In fact, she doubted she had ever had a chance to see whatever her brother was working on before. She drew closer, eyes narrowed as she tried to determine what it was.

Suddenly, it all came into focus. She took another step, just to make sure that was what she saw. Wooden figures in a little wooden town, all skillfully painted. In front was a certain house that looked too familiar to be coincidence. And in front of it stood a figure whose face she saw every day in the mirror *****.

 _Oh my God..._

* * *

 ***After all, Mistel was so distracted that he forgot to recover his 'project'.**

FunFactWithJJ#3: _I have a playlist for songs that have a darker, more manipulative theme to help me get inside Mistel's head. For ex: Don't Mess With Me, and Let's Watch This City Burn. If you have any suggestions, please drop a review saying the song name and title._

 _FunFactWithJJ#4: Most of the songs for the playlist are Izaya Orihara AMVs, so I keep watching the videos instead of writing. :')_

 _FunFactWithJJ#5: Originally, Mistel and Agate's relationship was going to be a friends-with-benefits thing, but I liked this better._

 _Oh, also! I apologize belatedly for how dry and possibly hard to follow the previous chapter was. I had written and rewritten it after switching sleep for watching anime the previous night. Hopefully, every chapter from here on will be more enjoyable and less sleep-deprived._

 _But yeah, now you have Iris in the picture!_


	9. Chapter Nine

Inside a certain perfume maker's house, all was calm. Klaus was enjoying this, and pulled out materials to begin his work. Then, suddenly, the door of his house slammed open. Thinking it was Fritz or someone else who was equally energetic, he sighed deeply. Reluctantly turning around, he opened his mouth to reprimand the reckless kid. That immediately stopped when he saw who was actually there.

"Iris?" he said, surprised. He stood up and walked over to the frazzled blonde. She was breathing heavily, and her skin was a few shades paler than normal.

"Mi- Mistel-" was all she managed to get out, staring out with wide eyes. She reluctantly pushed herself from the door and collapsed onto a chair.

"What about Mistel?" Klaus asked, sitting across from her. "Did something happen to him?" The only thing he could think of was that Iris had found out that her brother was dating Agate. However, that did not seem the appropriate reaction for that discovery.

She took a deep breath, burying her face in her hands. Blonde locks tumbled down by her face and onto the table. "I guess so.. But whatever happened to him a long time ago, and I don't know if I can fix it. I didn't even notice! He was my own brother, and I didn't even expect this!"

"Expect what, Iris? What do you mean whatever happened had occurred a long time ago?" Through all his questioning, Klaus kept his voice calm and soothing. It was a natural talent that his voice always had some element of calm, no matter the situation.

"I.. I can't even say it," she said softly, looking down. "Just.. look at this." That was when Klaus noticed the shoulder bag next to his friend. She pulled some manila folders from it and sat them on the table.

To say Klaus was puzzled was an understatement. However, he grabbed the first folder from the pile and opened it. His puzzlement only increased as he continued reading. Then his expression morphed from confused to a sudden, horrified understanding. Just to be sure, he reread the file.

Puppet Files *****

 **Name:** Melanie Harmony

 **Age:** 12

 **Birthday:** Winter 28

 **Gender:** Female

 **Family:** Lillie- Older sister, Maurice- Father. Very close with both.

 **Other Connections:** Lutz _crush?_

 **Main Personality Trait:** Romantic

 **Favorite Food:** Pudding a la mode

 **Loves:** Sweet foods like Cream Puff, chocolate drink, chocolate pudding, apricot cake, fruit punch, pumpkin pudding. Also loves ice cream. _Typical for a girl her age. Might have different tastes as she grows older._

 **Likes:** Small fish, snowballs, white pearls, pink diamond, glass stone, glittering stone, any animal treats, white yarn, fruits from trees, fruit jam, pineapple, watermelon, mashed potatoes, carrot soup, corn potage, moondrop flowers, + milks, potato pancakes, any recipe with pumpkin, fruit breads, melon bread, corn pasta, desserts, juices, and shakes.

 **Dislikes:** Sea urchin, fish bone, wasabi, bell pepper, fish bait, honeycomb, insects, medium, large and giant fish _maybe a smaller size is easier to handle for her?_ , onion salad, radish salad, herb salad, curry salad. potato plum salad, plum vinegar salad, herb soup, lotus root soup, minestrone, shrimp chili, sauteed lotus root, boiled broccoli, dry curry, herb pasta, tea drinks T _his girl dislikes a lot of things. Most likely takes what she likes for granted, then._

 **Despises:** Poison mushroom, grass drink, tom yum goong, spicy curry and fried squid, catfish, alligator gaar, large loach, rice grasshopper, hard-headed and enma field crickets, longhead and brown-streaked locust, pepper, toad, goliath frog

 **Hated Food:** Kimchi

 **Impression of Me:** Finds my antiques more interesting than myself, but treats me with respect. Enjoys speaking with me.

 **Hobbies:** Playing match-maker for Lillie _She tried to set us up once. It was awful._

 **Useful Qualities:** Outgoing, easily bribed

 **Overall Usefulness:** 8/10, would be more useful if more kids her age were here

 **Biggest Drawback:** Cannot keep a secret

 **Currently in Plan?** No

"Why would he have something like this?" the perfumer asked in surprise, tearing his gaze away from the paper. "Are those other files also.."

"Like that one?" Iris finished. "Yes. He has one for every person in own. That isn't all, though. I found those while I was digging through some boxes under his desk, trying to figure out the meaning of something else that I found."

"Something else?" he asked, leaning forward. "What do you mean?"

"I told you about Mistel's secret project on his desk before. Well, I thought it was some antique that he was looking over. However, that's not it. I-It's not close at all."

"What do you mean? Does it have something to do with the files?"

"I- I don't know. I think so. It's.. the town."

"The town? A map?"

"No.. not a map. He had a wooden model of the town. With everyone as figures in it!"

"That seems a little... odd," Klaus conceded. "Have you asked him why?"

"No, he was out today. With Raeger. Oh no! Raeger!" She jumped back in her seat, eyes wide in horror.

"Raeger? What's so significant about that?"

"Mistel has been taking an interest in him lately. Seeing what I did in his room... I just cannot believe that he means anything good by that. Raeger is going to get dragged into whatever Mistel is planning, and it cannot be anything good. _He controls the entire town, Klaus._ "

"Well.. we cannot act right away. We have to make a plan, and keep him unaware that we know. As long as he doesn't know, we should be alright. I still cannot believe it. Mistel being some sort of..."

"Sort sort of puppet master. You know, it's my fault. I never paid attention to him much when he was young, so he must have learned to be like this because he was always alone."

"Iris, you mustn't blame yourself. Besides, he isn't beyond fixing."

"..You're right. But what should we do?"

"Well, you said he was with Raeger, did you not? I can find out where they are and have some excuse to be nearby. I'll hear what they're talking about, and if Mistel is asking Raeger to do something, we will find a way to counteract it. If he doesn't, we'll just have to stay silent until we have better reason to panic."

"But-"

"There's nothing else we can do, Iris. Unless you want to go there yourself."

With that, Iris nodded and stood up. "Actually, I will. If they notice me, i'll just say I'm there to apologize. After all, we did have a spat earlier."

"That makes sense. I wish you luck, Iris."

"Thank you, Klaus." She sent him a grateful smile and walked out the door. Now to find where they went.

Thankfully, for Iris, finding them was not hard. All she had to do was walk out of town and on the mountain trail. Soon she saw the two, walking side by side. They were engaged in a conversation, and neither noticed her. She pulled closer, just to be withing ear shot.

"Where are we going?" Raeger asked with curiosity, glancing at the end of the trail. "To Eda's?"

"No, actually," came her brother's reply. Just seeing his face made her a little sick. He was a monster, controlling everyone like they're puppets. However, there must be some good in him. There must be.

"Nest to Eda's in an abandoned farm land where Richard and his father ****** used to live. I often come here to think. If you ignore all the sticks and stones, it's a nice place. Even with them, it still looks nice." After a moment of silence, he added, "But maybe I'm biased."

Iris brows furrowed as she heard Mistel talk. She vaguely remembered the duo, but there was something she wasn't remembering. Then, Raeger seemed to realize whatever it was, and turn to face of Mistel.

"Oh, I remember now. That boy.. Didn't you two know each other when you were kids?"

"Yes, we did We ended up moving here around the same time as well." Unmistakable sadness passed through his violet eyes as he spoke.

"I'm sorry for your loss," Raeger said quietly. "It was terrible, that he had to leave this world so young."

The blond didn't respond, just nodded. "Anyway, it's a good place to look at. What do you think about it?" He swiftly changed the subject as they entered the old farm area.

Meanwhile, Iris' eyes opened in realization. _Oh, Richard was the boy who died in that accident._ She followed the pair, memories flooding back. When he was a child, Mistel was infatuated with a boy around his age. Now she remembered seeing the boy's smiling face every day, and how Mistel would always follow him around. Then came the other piece of important information: Richard drowned in the river when he went swimming alone.

 _I can't believe I didn't remember that before..._ Iris thought to herself, continuing on.

"Mistel.. I have a question for you. You don't have to answer if you don't want to, though."

"Why did I bring you here? Well... I don't know. I just needed to get out of the house, and this is the first place on my mind. On second thought, it might not have been the best choice. We can leave if you want."

Raeger chuckled a little, to Mistel's confusion. "No, I understand. I came in at a bad time, and your sister didn't help. I would have done the same thing. Actually, I had a completely different question."

"Oh, really? What is it?"

"It's probably silly, really, but I've wanted to know for a while. When you first came into town, you used to stop by the restaurant a lot."

"I still do," Mistel countered, laughing a little. In this farmland, he seemed completely at ease, as if he wasn't dwelling on what he had lost. A strange way to spend in a place your best friend used to live, but Iris just chalked it up to Mistel most likely not even caring about the kid.

"No no, that isn't what I was getting at. Uh... You used to kind of stare at me when you came in to eat. I was wondering why." Raeger laughed in embarrassment, rubbing his neck. "Sorry, that's probably an awkward question.

"Oh! I'm sorry, I must have made you rather uncomfortable," Mistel laughed. "No, I was just trying to learn by example."

Shooting the blond a quizzical look, Raeger sat down on a tree stump. "How do you mean?" he asked.

Mistel followed his example, taking his place on a rock nearby. He smiled at the other, clearly amused. The smile looked much too innocent for him, now that Iris found what he was. However, his answer intrigued her. She held her breath, waiting for the answer.

However, it never came. Instead, the blond happened to take a glance to his left, and locked gazes with her. _Oh no..._

"Iris? What a surprise. Is there something you needed, or were you paying Eda a visit?" the blond asked innocently, standing up.

"No, I thought I would come to apologize for my behavior before. It was uncalled for,' she said, quickly falling back on the pre-determined lie. Internally she winced at how wooden it sounded. He was going to figure out, she was sure of it.

Instead, he just laughed, to her confusion. "Oh, I see. Klaus put you up to it. You really do need to tell him to mind his own business. What was said was none of his concern. Well.. since you're here anyway, I forgive you. We should probably go home now, anyway. If we do, then I'll have time to open up the store late."

The petite boy pushed himself off the rock, heading to the entrance without a backwards glance. Raeger pulled himself up as well, following. As he passed Iris he gave her a look that showed he wasn't pleased. "Couldn't you have waited until we got back?" he muttered, turning away.

She stood there for a moment, watching them leave. They hadn't interacted much before, and now Mistel was acting much friendlier than she would think. This had to be some sort of plan to win Raeger over. However, that didn't explain Raeger's side of the story. He seemed genuinely frustrated that she had interrupted. What was his reasoning? After all, the two were no more than acquaintances.

* * *

 ***I googled the information for almost all of this.**

 ****My original characters used for the backstory of the farm. I know this isn't 100% following canon, but this is already an alternate universe.**

 _AHHH I LOVE THIS CHAPTER BUT I HATE IT AT THE SAME TIME! I WAS TRYING TO PUT SO MANY THINGS INTO ONE AND I JUST- CAN'T-_

 _I hope you enjoyed the chapter, I worked rather hard on it._


	10. Chapter Ten

"I'm terribly sorry about what happened today," Mistel said, smiling brightly. "Nothing when quite as planned, did it?" _Unfortunately._

"That's true," Raeger conceded as they made it to the antique shop. He stopped in front of the building as Iris made her way inside. "However, it was enjoyable. Even if somewhat awkward." He laughed a little at that, a handsome yet natural grin lighting up his face. Mistel noticed that, though he filed it away. Unnecessary details didn't need to be focused on.

"Well, I'm glad you enjoyed it," Mistel said, returning the smile. It couldn't have been a genuine smile, of course. He may have let out some of his weaknesses today, but he did not have a reason to act genuinely around the chef. He was just a puppet, after all. "I do hope we can do something of the sort again. Although we should have an actual destination next time."

"I would like that," the brunet said with a smile. "Well, I have to go now. I will see you later tomorrow, then?"

"Certainly. I'll see you tomorrow, Raeger." With that he turned away and took a step towards the house. Raeger was about to turn away as well when the blond stopped.

"Oh, by the way, Raeger. I've heard a rumor about a certain person who is interested in a friend of yours, who stops by the restaurant often in hopes of seeing him. I can't tell you who the person is, but I thought you should keep that in mind. It's just something I've heard."

As the blond finally walked away and entered his home, the brunet was left behind to ponder. At that moment, when Mistel have him that observation, his entire persona changed. Well, it was just minor details but they changed his aura so radically they were impossible to notice. The smirk radiating in those violet eyes intrigued Raeger in a way no one else had intrigued him before. With that in mind, he could not very well ignore such a helpful comment.

It was not hard to realize what friend Mistel could be referring to, as there was only one male he interacted frequently. The girl who was interested in him, however, was a different matter. Of course, he also wanted Fritz to find himself a girlfriend. That had been a growing concern of his for a long time, and he was now handed a solution to that problem.

Now, all there was to do was to figure out what girl could possibly have her eye on his best friend. Of course, he knew better than to ask the farmer himself about it. So, he had to ask the girls himself. Oh dear... This could get fun.

He walked away, not even contemplating the reason why the blond told him such information. Especially in such a way that he expected him to do something about it.

Meanwhile, the blond himself was in his room, locked away from everything as he lay with his head in his arms. He would normally have no trouble bringing someone to that place, to make them pity him. There would be guilt, yes, but that was easily overcome. However, this man seemed to change things.

He could feel himself falling apart, and the strings tumbling from his hands. He would pick them up soon enough, but for now he would just curl away from the room and remember what he'd lost. Most days, the Puppet Master loved his job, and what he did. Those were the good days. Then there were the bad days, that hit him like an avalanche of uncontrollable sadness. It was the days like this that made him hate what he was.

As was habit, the blond made a game of predicting what would happen next. Iris was out, most likely at Klaus' place as usual. In an hour she would be back, and make dinner. They would eat dinner, and he would ask her why she was really there. After all, she had followed them. There was also a look in her eyes...

Afterwards, they would both retreat to their separate work, and Mistel would make progress on a certain plan he had been thinking about for a long time. That was simply routine now, nothing more. How completely boring. Was there even any use for him here? He was just a child playing with dolls, right?

Sighing deeply, he allowed himself to relax. Soon enough, visions of a bot with raven hair and mis-matched eyes flooded into view, making his heart shatter for the thousandth time. It was then that he sat up, determination in his eyes. What was he saying? Of course he was needed here. he was in control of the town, and no one would have gotten anywhere without him.

The boy, for that was what he was inside his mind, was wrenched from his thoughts and from his planning as a familiar set of steps came up the stairs. He really did not want to talk to Iris at the moment. Especially with the way she looked at him. Quickly he switched off the lights and his in his bed, much like a child when his mother comes in when he did not want to speak with her. Not that the analogy was much a stretch, honestly.

"Is Mistel here?" he heard Klaus ask as another set of footsteps joined his sisters on the steps. What made the bond's eyes open in surprise, however, was the apprehension in Klaus' voice. It was almost as if the perfumer was afraid of him.

 _Now, whatever did I do to deserve that sort of reaction?_

"I.. I don't think so," came Iris' nervous voice as she entered the upstairs floor. She switched on a light, and Mistel's eyes snapped closed. "Oh.. he's here, just asleep."

 _Foolish. You can't tell just by looking at me for a moment, you know. This is how I could sneak out of the house without you knowing._

"Are you sure we should be doing this here? Even if he's asleep. We can always talk elsewhere."

There was silence, and some rummaging over by his desk. The blond tensed at this, but forced himself to relax. It wouldn't do to be caught now. _What the hell are they doing around my desk? What are they finding..._

"Well, that's true. I guess we don't need this conversation now, anyway. I was just so scared at what I found, that.." Iris trailed off at that, and Mistel could easily guess many ends to that sentence. None of them spoke well for Mistel himself.

"No, I understand. We can talk about this tomorrow, after you've calmed down. I suggest you watch Mistel closely. He's dangerous, even if he is your younger brother." At those words, Mistel's injured heart iced over, and his breath caught in his chest. They obviously had figured it out, even though he had thought Iris would never remove that blanket from his desk. _Why do they know? And.. how much?_

Iris didn't give a verbal reply, but Mistel assumed that she had nodded. There was some more silence before Klaus gave a simple "Good night, iris," and left the house. He lay there in silence for a few minutes, making sure Klaus had completely left the building. As soon as he was certain of this, the blond felt no need to pretend anymore.

In one smooth motion, he was out of bed and on his feet. As much as he hated to admit it, this whole situation was exciting. They were trying to go against him, and seemed t think they would win! That revelation made a sinister smirk spring onto his face as he took another step towards the older woman in the room. Her back was to him, and she was so absorbed in staring at nothing that she didn't even notice his approach.

"So, _Sister_ , what exactly do you know about me?" The smirk only widened and he crossed his arms. Slowly, as if turning to face a monster, his sister went to face him, eyes wide with horror.

 _Fool. Does she really think I'll hurt her like this? And in my home no less._

* * *

 **Well, here's the next chapter. Iris is no where near as good as Mistel when it comes to dealing with these situations.. Well, he doesn't seem to want to hurt her at all, so that is a good thing. Of course, how things turn out is purely up to them.**

 **Also, what is Mistel planning by making Raeger plat match maker**

 **^-^ Well, those are my personal reflections for this chapter. Adios!**


	11. Chapter Eleven

Thursday morning rolled around to show a bright sun and cloudless skies. Thankfully, it was not too hot that morning, making the walk to the restaurant much more pleasant than other days. Angela was especially grateful for this, due to her long sleeves and heat-absorbing uniform. Keeping her eyes out for villagers, she made her way on the short walk to the restaurant. She would never say that she came here every day for any reason other than getting food, nor would anyone expect it. At least, as far as she knew.

As she sat down, a certain cloud of red hair caught her eye. She turned towards it, watching the way Fritz animatedly explained something or other to Lillie. She wasn't staring, mind you. After all, she was the responsible one that did not have to worry about love at this time. She found herself listening in, chuckling a little at some amusing comment that the farmer had made.

"He is quite attractive, isn't he?"

Eyes wide and skin a few shades paler due to shock, the nurse whipped around to see Raeger sitting at her table. his face was the very picture of innocence, topped with a wide grin. Her shock then turned into an embarrassed blush, having been caught. "N-no!" she protested, although badly. "Fritz just has a habit of falling, that's all! If he fell out of his chair and hurt himself, someone would need to make sure he's alright!"

The brunet raised his eyebrows, still smiling. "I never said I was talking about Fritz. You also may want to calm down a bit. Unless you want the entire restaurant to hear, anyway."

Defying reality, the young woman's face turned a deeper shade of red. "What do you want," she hissed, eyes narrowed.

"Relax, Angela. I don't want anything, and I'm not blackmailing you. I'm willing to try and get you guys together," the chef said, leaning forward. Meanwhile, the poor nurse was baffled. Why would Raeger want to help her out? Shouldn't he be acting protective over his friend?

"Why would you do that?" she asked quietly, sitting back. "Shouldn't you be worrying about mt hurting Fritz, or something along those lines?"

Raeger shook his head, giving her a sympathetic smile. "Your mother is going to do that to Fritz anyway, I'm guessing, so I may as well save you from the torment. Also, you're responsible. Fritz is like a brother to me, so I know him well enough to see what a good match to him would be. You'r calm enough to balance him out. besides, you wouldn't let anything happen to him. You already worry about him enough every time he enters the clinic."

"Did you.. notice this before?" Angela asked quietly, looking quickly to see if the oblivious redhead had noticed. Seeing him laughing and talking just like before, she turned back around. "I mean.. about..." she trailed off, too embarrassed and flustered to speak it out loud.

The chef seemed a bit surprise at the question, blinking. "Oh, did I notice?" he laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Not until today, actually. Uh... I kinda thought it would be a good idea to get Fritz to find a girlfriend, so I was looking. I'd actually asked a few girls about their feelings towards him, but.. You're the only positive so far." Angela tried so hard not to smile at that, because that was not something to smile about since she was not jealous about any girl.

"Oh, is that so?" she asked, biting back that traitorous smile. then her expression grew somber. "What does he think about me, out of curiosity? I mean.. since you're his best friend and all." She looked down, cheeks warming again. So much for her calm and cold exterior. She had never spoken to anyone else about her feelings before, however. besides, they were in a public place! She was a bit frazzled, to say the least.

He sighed for a second, before leaning back in his chair. "Well... He did say you were the prettiest girl he'd met before. he doesn't say that often, so that's something. I don't know the extent of his feelings, though. He doesn't really talk to me about that sort of stuff, you know? You should ask him yourself."

"A-ask him myself?!" Angela sputtered, turning scarlet. Lillie looked up from her conversation with Fritz and turned to Angela with raised eyebrows. The poor nurse just shook her head, trying to will the red tinge away. Lillie slowly turned away and started listening to Fritz again. Unfortunately, the Angela knew she would be getting the third degree as soon as they left.

"Yes. I've found that taking a more direct approach usually works in most circumstances. Especially with Fritz, who doesn't understand subtlety." Raeger made sure to be sincere and reassuring through the whole thing. He definitely thought they were good for each other, and was not disappointed at all with the girl he found liked his friend. He was even more determined to make this work. "I suggest taking him outside and asking him, away from people."

"Uh.. Alright.." she said in agreement, although full of reluctance. She opened her mouth to say more, but the opening door cut off the conversation. The chef and the nurse turned to see who it was, both curious and annoyed. However, the former soon morphed his annoyance into worry as his eyes landed upon the scene before him.

Mistel leaned against the dark wood of the doorframe, looking frazzled and overall unwell. His normally pressed clothes were wrinkled, and he honestly looked like he was stabbed by someone he trusted most. Without, of course, the actual stab wound. "Raeger, you wouldn't happen to sell alcohol, would you?" he asked weakly, sending up a grim smile. "I am in desperate need of a drink right now."

* * *

 **There ya go! Sorry about the wait! Iris and Klaus are coming back, and you'll see what they talked about soon enough. however, I was totally serious about the Angela/Fritz stuff. Hope you enjoyed the chapter.**


	12. Chapter Twelve

Mistel honestly felt like complete and utter crap as he stumbled into Raeger's small restaurant, head spinning. Last night had obviously not ended the best for him, especially with the conversation he had to have with his older sister. Thankfully, the restaurant was always a welcome refuge. If only he could convince himself to hold a proper conversation, instead of falling asleep at the counter.

The blond took a few sluggish steps towards the counter. He wobbled a little, as one who is stressed and sleep deprived would after taking an emotional blow. He wasn't so far gone that he did not notice the blatant worry flash across the chef's face. He vainly tried to put up a reassuring smile. But, seeing as how badly that failed, he just decided to give up on that front. A stool finally swam into his vision, and he flopped onto the leather padded seat.

"You would not believe the day I've had," he groaned, resting his head n his hands. around him, Raeger rose from his seat and found him a drink. The chef was really too good to him, putting up with the blond in this sort of state. Thinking on it, he really did need to do something in return for the brunet. he hated being in anyone's debt, but he was also grateful. After all, Raeger had consistently been there when even his on sister worked against him.

 _Only because he doesn't know, you idiot._

"Oh really? Tell me about it," Raeger said with a sympathetic smile. the glass landed on the counter with a soft _thunk_ and then slid across the counter. Whatever droplets fell from the glass were swiftly wiped up as the chef took a seat across from Mistel, on his side of the bar. "It could help to talk about it."

 _Sure, why don;t you tell him? Make him hate you, like everyone else. It can't hurt anything, can it?_

Shaking away the negative thoughts from his mind, Mistel took a deep breath. "Well, I'd rather not go into details. You understand."

"Yeah, I get it," Raeger responded with a nod. "I'll listen to whatever you want to share, though. After all, what are friends for?"

Meanwhile, the other customers found it slightly amusing that their quiet, reserved antique shop opener was treating the local restaurant like it was a bar. However, they did not make a comment. After all, it was not their conversation. Thankful for the distraction, a certain nurse took the opportunity to lad a certain farmer outside.

Mistel, however, was personally shocked by the chef's choice of words. _Does he really think of us as friends?_ The surprise was thrown to the back of his mind as he forced himself to keep some sort of calm. A bitter laugh escaped his lips as he took a swallow of whatever drink that was set in front of him. Whatever it was, it seemed to be helping.

"Yeah, right. So, I'm sure you saw how Iris and i haven't been on the... best of terms as of late," Mistel began, staring at his glass.

"Oh yeah," Raeger said with a laugh. "I definitely noticed." Then he sobered, thinking about the statement made. "This has to do with her," he stated, not asked. His blond customer sighed, hanging his head slightly.

"Well.. I've been having some private projects that take up a lot of my time. She doesn't exactly approve of me being so invested in them, and is demanding that I quit. I wasn't happy about that, as you can imagine. We were arguing all night, honestly. I think we're at some sort of Cold War."

That caused a raised eyebrow, making Mistel instantly feel the need to clarify.

"Well, not necessarily arguing all night. More like.. discussing. It's complicated." At that last statement he just sighed and his his head in his hands. "It's complicated."

When he didn't hear a response, the antique dealer chanced a glance upwards. The chef was looking at him with an indistinguishable expression. That was saying something, given that Mistel could almost always tell how a person was feeling. Finally, after a moment, he dared to ask.

"What's wrong?"

"What?" Raeger seemed surprised and bewildered, until understanding flitted across his face. "Oh! Oh no. It's nothing, it's just, well..." He trailed off, making his companion irritated.

As the duo talked, the other customers finished their meals and left the place. Each person would chance a glance at their chef and his friend, but decide to move on and mind their own business. Soon there were only two other people in the restaurant besides Mistel and Raeger, although they were too absorbed in their own conversation to notice.

"Well what?" Mistel suddenly snapped, the third -or was it fifth?- glass of his drink clearly getting to his head.

"Well... you kinda look like shit," the brunet admitted sheepishly. "I was wondering if that was all, or if..." He trailed off again, and Mistel nodded.

"Oh, I understand. No, nothing happened. I didn't get into a fight. Do you think I'd be here in one piece if I had?" he laughed, a too-wide grin on his face.

"True. So.. what's with the rumpled look?"

"Uh.. Would you believe me if I said I'm so tired that I tripped over my own feet on the way here?" he giggled, sheepishness tinting the edges of his voice.

"Oh dear..." the chef sighed, shaking his head. "Please be more careful, I wouldn't want you to be injured. Do you need a place to sleep, if things aren't cooled off at your house yet?"

"Oh, no. Thanks, but I think I've got it." The man shakily stood up, only to have his foot get stuck on a rung of the stool. Suddenly his balance was lost, and Raeger's eyes widened in horror as the blond fell to the floor. Slow moving hands tries to block the fall, but could not get there in time. With a loud _smack_ , Mistel's head slammed against the floor. He didn't move, out cold.

"Oh goodness," Raeger sighed. "What are we going to do with you?"


	13. Chapter Thirteen

Lights were evil. Shining up above, burning eyelids and causing every molecule of a brain to scream in utter agony. This feeling was unfamiliar, concerning. Oh mother did everything hurt, though. Mistel tried to tune into the situation through the aching upstairs. However, his brain had too many parts mush and too little parts rational thought for anything to make sense. It was excruciatingly frustrating for the blond. How was he supposed to take care of himself if he felt like-/p

 _Oh._ The light that had previously seared through his closed eyes was suddenly absent. In it's place was cool darkness. It washed over the man like an ocean wave, calming and welcome. He relaxed into the cotton sheets, a smile on his face.

pemWait, cotton?/em Thoughts rampaging through his sluggish brain, Mistel instantly fought to sit up. Those hands on his shoulders were amazingly annoying./p

"Woah, easy tiger," a familiar voice said soothingly. "You must have one mother of a headache by now, you shouldn't rush it."/p

"R..." The voice sounded familiar, and started with an 'R'. He was a friend. Definite friend. Searching for a name, he threw out, "Richard?"/p

"Close. You have a few letters right," the voice said in a quiet tone. The hands that had pushed him back down were now pushing back his hair and helping him drink a glass of water. _Dammit, I'm being treated like a child. If Raeger saw this-_

 _ **S** **hit.**_

"R-raeger?!" Mistel spluttered, spitting out half of his mouthful of water. His shout hurt his own ears, making him wince. In order to confirm his suspicions, violet eyes cracked open to see the room he was in.

 _We're in the clinic. Oh goodie, I wonder, who got to call Iris?_

The candle-lit clinic was bathed in the dark of just after early evening. It was still a little bit too bright for the blond's throbbing head, unfortunately. As soon as he glimpsed his brunet friend, his eyes squeezed back shut. Head quickly returned to pillow and he groaned. "Oww. Mother of- _Ow_."

Raeger found that much more amusing than necessary. "I did warn you," he said good-naturedly. "Are you alright?"

 _Someone had to have called Iris. Why isn't she here yet? She always comes. It hurts, oh God-_

"Mistel. Hey! Misty, you alive?" the chef said in worry, earning a soft glare before a pillow was dragged over the blond's face.

p"I am just peachy. My head's fine too. Doesn't feel like my brain was rolled over by a trading wagon at all. Please, save your worry."

 _Well, that's new,_ Raeger mused. _He normally isn't such a sarcastic shit. It... It's kinda cute, actually._ Thank Goddess the strongtaken/strong man didn't see him smiling like a love-struck fool.

"Well, you must be fine if you have enough energy to talk like that. Doctor Marian is out getting something for your head, he'll be back soon, by the way. I'm staying here, until he does, though." _Please, please please don't ask why-_

The blond did not ask why, much to Raeger's relief. In fact, he just stayed silent and still. So much so that Raeger had figured the other had fallen asleep. That wouldn't be surprising, given the day he'd had. Then Mistel started to speak.

"Hey, Raeger?" he said, so softly that the chef could barely hear.

"Yes, Mistel?"

"Do you consider me your... friend?" Mistel sounded ashamed and nervous to even ask. Raeger sighed fondly, remembering a time when he had been more shy and often in that position of questioning.

"Yes, I do. At least, as long as you'll consider me yours."

"Oh, well then."

"Is that all, or do you have something else on your mind?"

"No, that was it. By the way... I do too."

"What?"

"Consider us friends. I mean.. That's okay, right?"

 _Holy shit, low self-esteem is not supposed to be adorable. Goddamn it, Mistel._

"It's okay. Definitely okay. Now get some rest, alright?"

"Okay, I will. Night, Raeger."

"Good night, Mistel."

The blond relaxed, letting himself return to sleep. On the other end of town, another person with matching hair was having an assortment of other difficulties, rather than the possible concussion and the possible concussion and the hangover.

A certain novelist, fresh from her own nap, sat on a couch in Klaus' house. She hated that she had to run to him every time she was scared or upset. Surely he had troubles of his own, and did not want to listen to hers. However, he had let her in, and she couldn't stop the flow of words once she let them tumble out.

"I- I just don't get it, Klaus," she sighed, head in her hands. "He found out that I knew. That _we_ knew. But all he did was let me know he knew, then explain every way he could ruin my life! Then h- he smiled, and said it was all okay as long as I stopped trying to dig into things. He talked about ruining my life like a sadistic monster, then just let me go and smiled like the little brother I had grown to love. He- I don't even know if he's human..."

A comforting hand lay on her shoulder and Klaus smiled down at her warmly. "It will all be fine. We can bring your brother back to us, alright? He couldn't have always been like this. We just need to find out what made him change."

"That's just it. I don't know. I think and think and think until that's all I think about. But it's still bringing up nothing. He's not like any character in my novels. I can't get into his head."

Klaus let go of his friends shoulder gently. Long legs took him around the table until he got to the other couch. He slid into his seat, making sure to keep eye contact with his best friend.

"Iris, listen to me. No one is asking you to get into his head. No one is asking you to be perfect. You're human, you make mistakes. Things go out of your control. We can only work with what we're given."

 _No one's asking me to be perfect, huh..._ Then it clicked. Realization reared its ugly head and the blonde gasped, eyes wide. "Oh no..." she whispered, and to her mouth. "No one asked for me to be perfect. But I did."

"What?" Klaus said, puzzled. "I don't think this is much of a realization. You have always been a perfectionist. That's fine, as lng as you don't go too far. Not worth making much of a fuss about, especially right now."

"No, not me," she explained, shaking her head. "Once his childhood friend died, he started making mistakes he didn't used to. He was always getting into trouble, breaking things... Now that I think about it, he was a total mess. But back then.. I thought he was just being annoying on purpose. I don't know how I didn't realize. I started avoiding him, criticizing him for every mistake- Goddess, I was _terrible_. No wonder he turned out like this."

The blonde looking down to notice another pair pf hands interlocked with her own. "It's alright," Klaus reassured, rubbing the back of her hand with his thumb. "We all make mistakes. Besides, he had to make a conscious decision to become this way. You could not have forced that. He brought this on himself. This is unhealthy, and we will get him help. Alright? You have to stay calm. Promise me."

She nodded, taking in a shaky breath. "Alright. I promise. I'm sorry, I just have a hard time taking in it all..." She sighed, looking down.

Before her friend could comfort her, a loud knock sounded at the door. It seemed to be two hands, as if two people were knocking together. Whoever it was, it was quite loud. Iris winced, looking with dread at the door. Klaus stood up, striding over to the wooden gate. He hoped it wasn't anything bad. After all, Iris still seemed about as calm as a tsunami. Internally he thought that the level of panic she exhibited might break records, but soon shushed the thoughts as they were unnecessary and rather rude.

To his utter bewilderment, Lillie and Elise stood on his front steps, gasping for breath. "G-good evening. We- We're sorry for interrupting, sir-" Lillie gasped, hands on her knees as she tried to breathe. "But we th- thought that Miss Iris would most likely be- be here," she finally finished, slowly standing up as she took in a deep breath to fuel her lungs.

"Iris?" the dark haired man asked in concern. "Why did you need her? Did something happen?"

"Well, Raeger said that Iris may have been asleep, so to wait awhile before getting her. But Mistel knocked himself out at the restaurant, and is passed out in the clinic," Lillie explained, worry crossing her face despite the unpleasant circumstance regarding him that was forever locked in her memory.

Iris started out shocked by the weather girl's news. Then it morphed into skeptical, a confused look across her face. Finally she settled for amused, and girly giggles flooded forth. "Mistel- Mistel managed to knock himself out," she laughed. The thought caused Klaus to smile as well, though he tried to hide it behind a cough.

"Yes, that is quite a thought," he said with forced seriousness.

Meanwhile, Elise and Lillie stood there in confusion. _What in the world?_


	14. Chapter Fourteen

The clinic was quiet and calming as the pair of friends finally started to drift off to sleep. (Well, in the case of Mistel, already had.) Doctor Marian had told Raeger that he could leave at any time and that no one would expect him to wait there. However, he had decided to stay anyway. Mistel had taken quite a fall earlier that day, and depending on if he was otherwise injured, he could still be disoriented and slow when he woke up. It just felt wrong to leave a friend there alone, especially without making sure someone else knew he was there. He decided to just take a nap there and be in the clinic in case something happened.

For a while he just sat back in the chair, eyes closed as he listened to the sounds that resonated through the quiet of an empty clinic. There were no movements to be heard, save for the creaks and groans of the old building adjusting itself as well as the quiet and steady breathing of the slumbering blond a few feet away. There was nothing to bar the sound, so the faint opening of the front door as well as the footsteps that entered were clear to be heard to the not-yet-slumbering chef. Needless to say that he was surprised, as all the visitors had left and no one really visited this late.

The voices drifted towards the door then hovered directly in front of it. The voices hushed for a moment, as if someone was listening. That struck Raeger as such a burglar move that he had to bite back a laugh. Not only not to attract the possible clinic robbers, but also to keep his sleeping friend asleep. No one entered, so he softly made his way to the door. A stool was in his way and he almost tripped over it, just barely catching himself as his heart tried to escape from its cage. In a few minutes he ha made it to the door, though it felt like a half hour. Slowly, he reached for the brass handle, hoping he didn't have to fight of burglars at Goddess-knows-o-clock.

The door creaked in a whining fashion as the tall brunet opened the wooden barrier to see who was there. He was pleasantly surprised to see four people who were not burglars. Klaus led the pack, a smile on his face as he saw Raeger peek his head around the door. behind him stood Iris, who did not seemed pleased to see him. Behind her Lillie and Elise stood side by side, craning their necks to try and see Mistel.

"Isn't it a bit late to visit a patient?" Raeger asked, covering a yawn with his hand. Having no more apprehension, he opened the door the rest of the way and leaned against the door frame. "I appreciate your concern, but couldn't you have come earlier? Or maybe tomorrow?"

"We were going to," Lillie admitted with a wince, piping up from the back. "I'm afraid we got distracted with a conversation, and it all went downhill from there... We forgot why we came and ate dinner with Iris and Klaus, and then we ended up talking more. We just realized that it was so late, and we really wanted to make sure that Mistel was okay. We saw that fall and it looked like it hurt terribly."

Raeger noticed that his friend wasn't telling the whole story, but didn't want to interrogate her at this hour, especially in front of other people. With a smile and a sigh, he moved from the door and gestured for them to enter. "Come on in and check on him. There isn't much to see, really. He should be fine, according to Marian. He's sleeping right now, so don't wake him."

A unanimous nod led them into the clinic, where they filed over to the beds. Lillie and Elise sat on the edge of a bed, side by side. They were both not the most awake, and the chef had to resist a strong urge to send them both home. They should be asleep, not visiting! He did not even know the reason why Elise was there, honestly. He did let it go, however, and sat back in his chair. Klaus sat on the stool a ways away, and Iris stood next to him.

"You've been here all day?" Iris asked quietly, trying not to disturb the sleepy girls nor her sleeping brother.

"Yeah," he said, nodding. "Well, I ended up making myself something to eat, and Doctor Marian go on a brief walk to get some air and stretch my legs, but I've been here almost the whole time. I didn't want to leave him alone, just in case something happened, you know?"

"That was probably a good idea," Iris said in agreement, although for a completely different reason than the brunet. "Has he woken up at all."

"Yes, earlier. He was a bit disoriented, though," Raeger said as he stifled a yawn. "He had woken up slightly a few times since then, but didn't really rise to consciousness. Nightmares, I think."

Iris seemed oddly confused at the statement, before understanding flickered in her eyes as a memory resurfaced. Klaus seemed a bit less surprised, strangely. he nodded, letting out a sigh.

"I had been afraid that the nightmares had come back."

This definitely came as a shock to the person in question's sister, who turned to face her friend. "What do you mean, you were afraid they would come back? What do you know about his nightmares? He hasn't even had them since he was little." This irked Iris to no end. She may have been best friends with Klaus, but her younger brother's nightmares were something she had never mentioned to him.

The older man looked a little sheepish. "Mistel had told me about them a few years ago," he admitted. "He was interested in a sort of perfume that could possibly help them go away. I just didn't think it was my business to share that information before."

"Wait, what are the nightmares even about?" Raeger interjected. By this point, none of the three remembered that Lillie and Elise were still in the room. They both were taking quite an interest in the conversation as well.

"I... never asked him about them, since he said he didn't want to say," the busty blonde woman admitted with a sigh. "I have always meant to, but things have always been getting in the way."

"I don't want to go into specifics," Klaus said slowly, glancing at the mound of blankets that encompassed Mistel's sleeping form. "He did ask me to keep it a secret, after all."

Raeger nodded, seeming to signal the end of the conversation. "Well, if he asked you to keep it secret, then it's none of my business. If he wants to tell me, then it's his business. I shouldn't have asked."

Klaus nodded in reluctance, seeming unsure. "Are you sure? I think you could help him, if you knew." The perfumer seemed genuinely concerned for Mistel as he talked, although also acknowledged that Raeger had a point. After all, it was Mistel''s secret to keep.

"No, I don't want to know. If need be, I'll ask him later. But now isn't the time to ask him, and we shouldn't go behind his back and telling his secrets. He'll let people know about sensitive subjects when he's ready. I don't want to force things."

"That makes sense. I want to help Mistel, too. Sometimes I see him walking alone, and he just looks so troubled, even though he smiles when people talk to him. But getting information behind his back is really wrong."

"I don't necessarily like him," Elise huffed, still blatantly harsh despite her tired expression. "But he should have people supporting him." She stole a quick glance at Lillie, looking embarrassed. "It does help."

The weather girl smiles brightly, sharing a look with the blonde farmer. "Yeah, it does, doesn't it? I know that Iris and Klaus have more right than the rest of us to want to help out, but we will help any way we can anyway. After all, it's the right thing to do."

"Why don't we get the entire town to help while we're at it," Raeger retorted, chuckling at their antics. They were such good neighbors, despite Elise's previous reputation. He wished he could be like them and help without the burden of ulterior motives. "I hate to change the subject, but it is almost midnight. I think you all should go home, and catch some sleep. Things will probably be pretty hectic tomorrow, once word gets out what happened. You know how this town is, always visiting someone hurt even when you aren't close."

"You're not going to sleep here, Raeger," Klaus unexpectedly scolded. "You're only a building away, so go sleep on a proper bed. Angela will get you or someone else if something happens. You're no use to anyone if you're too tired to think. You do have work tomorrow, as well."

"But-"

Iris was left in amusement as the normally more reserved perfumer let sleep-deprived crabbiness take over. He lightly grabbed the other male's arm and led him out the door. "You really need to sleep. Believe me."

"Klaus would make a good father, wouldn't he?" Lillie remarked suddenly, making Iris blush furiously. "Well- I- uh-" She stuttered over the words for a few minutes, almost drowned out by the peals of laughter from the other two girls.

Meanwhile, Klaus rather forcefully led Raeger home. After a few steps the brunet was able to yank out of the older man's grip. A loud sigh escaped his lips as he sighed. "Dragging me wasn't necessary, you know," he complained, though there was some lightness to his voice.

"Yes, I know. I just have something to say to you, and i wanted to make sure no one else heard," the perfumer admitted.

"What's that?" the chef asked apprehensively.

"It's about Mistel. I just want you to know that Iris and Mistel's argument went a bit deeper than a petty squabble. I'm not sure how much you know, but things have gotten personal between them. Iris may want to drag you into things but you are obligated to do absolutely nothing due to her influence. And just remember that Mistel is a good person at heart. No matter what he says or does, he is still at heart a lonely boy, alright? He's more childish than anyone could give him credit for, which makes him a bit more fragile than you would originally think. Iris tries her best with him, but... sometimes she doesn't handle it in the right way."

"Thank you for the warning," Raeger said politely. "I will keep that in mind. I do appreciate the warning, however. Mistel did not tell me much about the argument, so I underestimated it," he admitted sheepishly.

"It is perfectly alright. Mow go sleep or you'll drop dead in the morning."

"Will do, sir. Have a nice night." With that the exhausted chef entered his restaurant and home, closing the door softly behind him. Klaus did not move just then, however. He stood there, frozen for a moment. Then he sighed, looking away.

"I hope I did right by both parties," he muttered to himself as he began his walk home. "I don't want to be the cause of any of that boy's misery."

After the man stopped speaking, the town descended into a silent calm. Listening closely, he could hear the chirping of insects and the soft whooshing of late summer wind. Worry lines creased the man's face as he walked, hands stuffed deeply into his pockets. His thoughts tumbled with thoughts of his best friend and her younger brother, whom he had begun to call family years ago. He had no words for the feelings he had then, but he did feel that something a lot more sinister could come about if anyone made a wrong step.

He loved Iris to death he really did. However, he would have to keep an eye on her. Given that a single misstep could bring everything down on its head. He was just beginning to see Mistel get the sort of support he had always needed. He would hate to ruin everything for the blond by being careless. Not to mention that there could be drastic consequences for messing with the blond.

The older man took in a seep breath and sighed. _I hope this will all work out. Please, let it work out._

* * *

 **This took a lot longer because of computer access problems! I am so terribly sorry. This also ended up going a little bit different than originally planned, but I think this flows better. If the text is a little dry, blame it on my one hour of sleep. I hope that none of this story was that confusing, and I will try to update as soon as possible. Please review if you feel the need to tell me how I'm doing so far. This is my favorite story so far, so I thank every single one of you who took the time to read it and made it this far. I hope I can continue to write enjoyable chapters for you all. I am very grateful for everyone who gave this story a chance, and I am especially grateful to a certain person who has been my muse since day one.**

 **The end of part one should come soon, and I'm excited! I hope you all are as well. Have a wonderful day, and if it is nighttime for you, please remember to get to sleep. I know I get caught up reading stories and go to sleep an hour before I wake up, but that isn't good. Don't let fanfiction delay your mandatory eight hours of sleep. This story will be here in the morning. I give you my word on that.**


	15. Chapter Fifteen

_Note: If you're reading this chapter the same day it was published, 9/2/2016, then I did publish two chapters today. Make sure to read 14 first, because I posted it today and if you just skipped to the newest chapter, you wouldn't know there were two. Just wanted to let y'all know. Please enjoy the story now!_

* * *

"Raeger, do you have something to tell me?" came a familiar and deceptively sweet voice from the doorway of the restaurant. The chef was rather certain where this was going. Setting down the glass in his hand, he turned around to face the door.

"Good morning, Mistel," Raeger greeting brightly. "What exactly do you wish me to tell you? By the way, would you like your usual order for lunch today?" As he spoke, the chef made sure to keep an innocent and cheery tone.

"Raeger, pretend that I know you enough to not buy that sort of fake innocence," the blond sighed in mock-disappointment. He slid into a bar stool, waving his feet like a child. "So, I think you owe me an explanation. What's going on?"

"I think you're going to have to be a little bit more specific, Mistel. What do you mean?" Raeger picked up the glass he had been cleaning again. He continued cleaning it, looking back at Mistel. He knew exactly what Mistel meant. However, messing with him was simply too cute.

"Things have been weird for the past two weeks, Lillie and Elise have shown up at my antique shop at random times, coming to ask me if I need help and to ask me if something is bothering me. Then Fritz comes in to thank me. Why? For helping you set him and Angela up. I think they're making progress with their relationship, apparently. More importantly: _How_ did he know that?"

Raeger chuckled awkwardly, setting down his glass to rub at his neck. "Well, I wasn't trying to tell him?" he defended weakly. "Fritz had come over and started thanking me. Angela had told him about it, I guess. I accidentally told him to thank you instead. I don't deserve the credit, after all."

The blond sighed deeply. "Raeger, that was supposed to be a secret. Some friend you are." The last piece was said with a light tone, taking the edge from the words.

"Well, you didn't specify that I couldn't tell anyone once everything worked out," the chef said cheekily.

"Oh, they are?"

"They are what?" The chef blinked, confused.

"Working out. Fritz and Angela. I wasn't sure if he liked her, to be honest. He's so enthusiastic that he's hard t read."

"Oh, I see. Well, I am not sure. They don't seem to be having many problems right now. From what I heard, Angela confessed and Fritz wasn't sure how he felt about her. So right now they're trying things out, an Fritz is making a real effort. I'm kind of impressed, actually. He was all fired up about figuring out hoe he felt and making Angela happy."

"Maturity?" the blond asked, raising an eyebrow with a smile.

"Possibly. You never know," Raeger laughed, cleaning another glass. "He tends to mature when you aren't looking. Like the pot that never boils when you're looking at it."

"If that's true, then I'll ignore him until he becomes a functioning adult," Mistel mumbled with annoyance, resting his chin on his arms. "Did you know that he was in my shop a few days ago? Playing with the antiques like they were toys! I almost had a heart attack!"

"Well, we wouldn't want that," Raeger teased. "After all, we've already proven how injury prone you are."

"I was drunk!" Mistel defended immediately, before suddenly realizing the flaws in that objection. "I mean, I don't normally drink. I wasn't in my right mind, so accidents happen. That doesn't make me accident prone. You just caught me on a bad day."

"A bad day that had you tripping three times before you even made it to my restaurant to get drunk," Raeger reminded. "So I would call it accident prone."

"I hadn't slept the previous night, that is not a common occurrence."

"No, but low amounts of sleep are common for you. You stay up most of the night working on projects, and get three hours of sleep at most. Which, by the way, is not healthy. You need to fix that before I call Doctor Marian and make him get on your case. Or Klaus, if that won't work."

Mistel shuddered at the mention of his sister's friend. "Please don't. He tends to scold me like he's my father. It's so difficult to deal with. I swear he's two steps from grounding me some days."

That made the brunet laugh, completely losing it. "I've seen that side of him, believe me. He is quite like a father, now that I think about it."

"Exactly. As my best friend, it is your responsibility to prevent me from having to suffer through that. So you cannot tell him, under any circumstances."

"He will find out eventually," Raeger warned. "Be careful. Now, onto the main problem. _Get decent sleep_."

"I've got work to do. I can't waste time sleeping eight hours when I could be getting everything ready for the shop. If I fall behind, so does my shop. My customers expect me to be punctual and have everything they would need. I cannot afford to slack off."

"Sleeping well is most certainly not slacking off," Raeger scolded. "Your customers also expect you to be awake and functional. Don't think I never notice you sleeping when no one is in the shop. Sleep during sleep time."

"Excuse me. I am sorry to interrupt, but I have something I need to discuss with Mistel." Both men looked up in surprise. Victoria was standing a few feet away, arms clasped behind her back in a professional manner. Her face was rather uncomfortable, as if she didn't know how to approach the situation.

"Of course, Veronica. I can spare a moment." Mistel slid off of his chair and gave Raeger a short wave. Veronica led him out the door, and paused a little ways outside.

Raeger watched through the window, wondering what the guild leader could want with his friend in the middle of business hours. From the look of the blond's face, nothing good. As the older woman spoke, Mistel's face grew increasingly more tense. Then anger lashed out, and he took a step forward in indignation. Whatever he was talking about really did not seem to be making him happy. Suddenly, the blond stormed away from the guilty-looking woman and charged towards the direction of the other side of town.

 _Probably going to see Agate_ , Raeger thought with a sigh. _I wish he would rely on me more, though._

Veronica did not bother walking in the restaurant, or going after Mistel. Instead, she slowly walked back towards the guild. Her face was resigned, and the chef was nearly dying with the burning need to know what had transpired.

He did not get to know during his work hours. In fact, no one knew where Mistel was or what had happened. Agate herself had come in searching for the blond, dismissing Raeger's earlier theory. No fair blond hair entered the doorway all day. Soon it was time to close, and Raeger was almost certain he knew where he would find his friend.

The walk up through the mountain path seemed to grow in the dark. Raeger swore there were more steps in that path as soon as the sun went down. However, he made it to the hill with little to no problems. Crossing over into the abandoned farm, he hoped to everything that Mistel was there.

He was definitely there, to the chef's relief. Moonlight bounced off the pale blond hair, making it an easy target to spot. The young man was sitting on a tree stump, head in his hands. This was the most miserable the chef had ever seen his friend, and it killed him. Especially when all he wanted to do was kiss and comfort the other, which was so obviously not allowed in this case.

"They're giving away the farm," came Mistel's quiet voice, laced with tears. "To some guy out of town. Just anyone who would come try to farm on it. It should go to someone in town, not some random guy from who knows where. I just- None of them would do Richard's farm justice. I just know it."

Raeger honestly had no idea what to say. Questions and realizations whirled inside him and he tried to think of a thing to say. He didn't have to say anything yet, however. Mistel added a question onto everything.

"Raeger... Do you think I should be okay with this?" The sadness and desperation in Mistel's voice was so out of character from the reserved and cheerful person that he knew that he had no idea how to respond.

"I think... I think that it's going to be an adjustment. And I don't expect you to be happy about it. No one does. But I do think that this will help the town. And if people stop coming to the town, then..."

"We will all have to leave," the blond finished in an almost whisper. Raeger had walked closer to him by that point, almost right next to him.

"But we can deal with this, alright? We'll just take it one step at a time, and try not to hate the new person when they come."

"..I don't want things to change," Mistel whispered. "What if... the person who moves here doesn't care about who came before? Or they don't care about the town?" he asked, childish fears surfacing and finally letting themselves be released.

"Well, then we can deal with it then, alright? Now, why don't we go home? It's getting late, and we did talk about you getting more sleep."

Mistel nodded, pushing himself up from the wood. "...Okay. Let's go home," he said softly, walking over to his friend. "I'm sorry about acting like his... You must think I'm really childish," he said, chuckling half-heartedly.

"Not at all, Raeger assured him. "I would be more worried if you didn't care. Besides.. He was important to you, wasn't he?"

"Important?" Mistel echoed, tilting his head back, staring at the sky. "Well... I guess you could call him that."

* * *

 **There! Two chapters that I'd already written, typed up and posted! This doesn't have everything I wanted it to, but it has the major elements. I hope you liked what I've presented so far. Chapters 14 and 15 are my favorite ones to write, and I think they turned out the best. I hope you liked them.**

 **I think this one isn't as good as 14, but I still like it.**


	16. Chapter Sixteen

"Lillie, may I have your advice on something?"

The question came suddenly, and the weather girl had been more than a little startled. As she had walked the familiar path, she had seen no one. As far she had known, she was alone. However, it seemed that someone else had joined the path while her back was turned. Someone who needed her advice.

The girl turned around partway, hoping to see who it was. To her surprise, it wasn't one of the other girls her age. A familiar blue dress flashed into view, accompanied by the reserved and dignified face of the guild master.

"Good morning, Veronica! What do you need?" Lillie asked cheerfully. In a moment she had moved so she was facing the woman, and was closer.

"Well.. This is a bit hard to ask, actually," the woman said awkwardly. "I am not sure if you've heard, but yesterday I had to have a talk with Mistel. Our town is fading, and soon there will be nothing left of it. I'm sure you're aware."

"..Yeah, I know. But what does that have to do with Mistel?" the brunette asked, tilting her head in confusion.

"Oh, right. I guess I should explain that more clearly. You see, the best way for our town to improve would be for us to get some new blood. More specifically, a new farmer. I decided to put some ads in newspapers, in hopes that someone would find them and apply for the position. However, the farm has some emotional significance to Mistel."

"Oh, because of the boy who drowned," Lillie said, nodding. "That explains why he was so unhappy. But what do you need my advice for? You've already told him about it, right? At least, I think that's what you said."

"I did tell him about it during our conversation. However he did not... take it well. I was wondering if you may have any advice, as you have a younger sibling and something you said may have made her mad before. I want to smooth things over with him. I won't put in the ad without his permission, as Mistel is the closest thing to family poor Richard has in town right now."

"That makes sense," Lillie agreed, nodding. "I understand why he would be upset. After all, he and Richard were friends, right? I think he took his death pretty hard, even though he never talks about it. Raeger says that Mistel didn't take it well and he knows _because_ Mistel never talks about it. So I think it's understandable he's be upset."

Veronica opened her mouth to defend herself, but was swiftly cut off.

"However, Mistel is smart. And I just know that he cares about the town. So.. I think he'll come around on his own. I'm sure Raeger is talking through things with him right now, and making him see the reason behind it. If you check on him in a few days, then I just know that he'll be a bit more receptive. Okay? Just have a little hope." The girl grinned brightly, sunshine lighting up her face. "I'm sure everything will work out!"

Veronica smiled back, albeit a little stiffly. "Thank you, Lillie. I have seen you around Mistel before, so I thought you may know something. This was helpful. I will be sure to check on him tomorrow, and speak with him."

"Good! But.. can you do me a favor?" the young woman asked hesitantly, looking at her hands.

"Yes? What is it?Mistel is a good person, even if he gets annoyed or isn't always nice. He does care, and he watches out for people. I believe that, and Raeger does to. I know a lot of people think he's stuck up and doesn't like people, but I.. I think he's just scared. I think he doesn't know hoe to make friends who like him for who he is. So he avoids it. But... that's changed. For the first time, I've seen him willingly go out and spend time with someone. He always spends his free time at the restaurant, and he smiles so much. As I get to know him better, I'm so glad I can see those things. But... he can get mad too. When he's mad, he acts like a little kid. I'm not insulting him, mind. It's just so different, you know. From what he is normally like. He gets really mean, when he's mad. I've seen that, so..." Lillie trailed off then, looking down. "Please have Raeger there when you talk with him. Mistel may be fine and ready to accept, but he might not be. For your own sake, please let Raeger be there. Mistel trusts him."

The older woman stared at Lillie in surprise. "How do you know all of this? What do you mean by mean?" Questions bubbled in the guild master's brain as she stood frozen.

"It was years and years ago, but there was someone who tried to vandalize Richard's grave. After that day, things started happening. I'm not supposed to know about that, about what he can do. But I do, and I want to help. That's why I have hung around him so often. I want him to learn not to hurt people anymore. I cannot tell you anymore than that. That's Mistel's secret to tell."

With that, she left. Quickly and without looking back, almost like she was running. Veronica was left behind, thinking about Lillie's words. She did not quite understand, but she would keep some of the advice in mind. After all, she had always known that Mistel was a special case.

Far across the town, at the very far end, the very subject of their discussion sat in his room. Wooden pieces were scattered around him. Most were on the floor, as if having been thrown. The blond let out a strangled yell, burying his head in his arms.

"I can't tell him," he whispered. "I just can't. I am a monster, and if he knows.. He'll hate me."

 _You always told me to hold onto my friends better, Richard. Well.. I shall do my best. You don't have to worry. I won't tell him, to keep him here._

A sob escaped the small body. Frail shoulders shook as he dug his face deeper into his arm. "I hate this..." he said in a whine. "I don't want to have to do this anymore. I don't _like_ hiding."

 _But I have to. And I will. I will keep my friend, even if it kills me. I will keep him, no matter how many lies I have to tell. Because if he unwraps the lies, he'll leave._

 _I don't want him to leave. No matter what._

Shakily, the puppet master slid pout of his chair. Standing unsteadily, the young man dropped into a wobbly kneel. He blinked back shining tears, trying to will them away from existence. He picked up every carved piece in his hand. Once every single piece was in his hand, the man stood up. Breathing was labored, and he muttered out loud to himself.

"I don't want him to leave," he whispered, reiterating his thoughts. "No matter what."

Shaky steps took him back into his chair which greeted him with an open embrace. Instead of placing the pieces on the boar, the blond kept them in his hand. He glanced up, looking at a small wooden box on the back of his desk. Dark wood glistened back at him, and he took a deep breath.

For the first time in years, the box left its place on the desk. The heavy dark lid opened with a piercing creak. It only took him a moment of staring at the blue cloth inside before he made a decision. He took a deep breath, and nodded as if to encourage himself.

Something fell into the container. Then another thing fell, lightly hitting against its predecessor. Again something fell, this time another wooden piece in the form of a curly-haired blond. Slowly, the blond opened his hand fully. Every piece tumbled down below. Soon there was a pile of every single one of them, save for one.

Raeger's face smiled up at him from the piece. "Well, Raeger, if I'm going to have to hide who I am.. Maybe stopping being that person for a while won't be so bad. After all, I can't be lying if I'm actually not doing those things anymore."

Then that one, too, finally joined the others. The boy-like puppet master sighed, closing his violet eyes. "I don't even know if I'm doing the right thing. Without me, the town will have no protection." However, as he said the words, a certain image flashed through his mind. "However, Raeger will be a lot happier like this.. Right? So... It's okay."

A few feet away, a certain woman stood. She tugged on her ranger's outfit, sorrow in her eyes. Unnoticed, she stood as she watched the man she grew to love face away. His sadistic grin and confident nature had washed away, leaving behind nothing but raw human emotion. _He's so different, now. This isn't who I fell in love with. Is there... even a future for us now?_

With that, the woman turned away, and descended the stairs.

* * *

 **I've been planning this one for a bit, so I hope it turned out well. Mistel is retiring from being a puppet master. Or at least, trying to. Not gonna say how well that works out for him, but...**

 **See you next chapter! Hope you like!**


	17. Chapter Seventeen

Talking to Mistel with Raeger around would not be hard. What would be harder would be trying to find the blond without his friend, if Veronica was being honest. With that in mind, the woman walked directly over to the restaurant first thing after breakfast. She was almost certain that the two would be there, doing whatever they did together.

She was right. As the door creaked open, the woman saw both young men sitting together, talking. She could not quite make out the words, but she wasn't exactly trying, either. Eavesdropping was rude, and she of all people knew that. She took a step forward, getting out of the doorway. In hopes of getting their attention, she let out a little cough. "Excuse me, is now a good time?"

The two glanced up in surprise. Mistel started to get off of his stool. Veronica waved her hand, motioning for him to sit down. "No, it is alright. I don't see why Raeger cannot hear what we have to talk about."

Mistel paused for a moment, thinking. Then he nodded, . Slipping back into his stool, he turned to the guild master. 'Good morning, Veronica. I assume you've come about our conversation the other day."

"Yes, I have. I would like you to reconsider. I can swear that-"

"Don't worry about it," Mistel suddenly cut in, rattling the woman. "I have already thought it over. We think it would be best for the town for someone to man the farm. We have all tried our best, and the other farmers are slowly helping to improve things. Elise definitely is helping out, with the quality of her products. However, she is only one person. We need more people here, even if I don't like it. For things to get better, sacrifices have to be made. So, yes, someone can man the farm."

Mistel's words shocked the woman. \He sounded far too wise to be a mere young man. He had such a grasp of the situation, and acted much more mature than before. However, she did not gawk for too long. She opened her mouth, intent on saying thank you. However, the blond moved faster.

"However, I do have a few conditions to ask of you. After all,. I don't want anyone unworthy trying to run Richard's farm."

"That sounds reasonable," she said slowly. "What did you have in mind?"

"Oh, nothing drastic. I just would like to be one of the people reviewing the applications. If that isn't too much trouble, of course. Also, if you don't mind, could it be someone with farming experience?"

"I have no problem with you looking at the applications. I was already going to show at least one other person, and you have reason. Why farming experience, though?"

Mistel did not answer that time. Before the blond could say something, Raeger quickly cut in. Which was most likely a good think. The scowl on Mistel's face didn't suggest that the blond would say anything nice.

"We thought it was a good idea for someone with experience to have the farm, because they wouldn't have to spend a long time at the beginning learning how to do the job. That way, the town would progress quicker. It makes more sense in that sort of mindset."

What Raeger said did make sense. She wasn't sure why Mistel looked so upset at the question. However, she was not sure if it was much of her business. She considered asking, but decided against it. Instead, she took a deep breath and nodded. "Well, that is logical. I am sure we can do that."

That seemed to make Mistel happy. He grinned, making him seem like a child despite his age. "Thank you very much, Veronica."

"You're welcome, Mistel," she said stiffly, unsure how to deal with the childishness he displayed. She was getting whiplash from how quickly he could change emotions. "I have to go now. Thank you for reconsidering. I will make sure that this is worth it for you."

She turned away and left the restaurant. Mistel watched her leave, face void of any expression. Something flashed in his deep violet eyes, but he quickly suppressed it. Almost like guilt, or remorse. Raeger watched the man, unsure how to place the feeling he saw.

"Are you alright, Mistel?" he asked, concern lacing his voice.

"Yeah, I'm fine," he said softly. "Don't worry about it. You're sure we made the right choice, though?"

"Yes, I'm certain. You did well, alright? Don't worry about it. We can figure this all out. Maybe we'll even get someone our own age. You need more friends, you know. All you have are two, right?"

"One," Mistel corrected tersely, not looking at Raeger in the eye.

"One? There's Agate and me, right?"

Mistel sighed, shaking his head. "Agate weren't exactly friends. We didn't dislike each other, and we were..."

"Kind of a thing?" Raeger suggested. He definitely noticed the way Mistel said _were_ , though.

"Yeah," the blond sighed. "But... She decided that I'm not interesting enough for her. I understand that. I didn't think we'd last as long as we did in the first place. I'm not entirely mad, just upset that I did not see that coming."

Raeger nodded, silent. He felt anger towards Agate for leaving Mistel, especially for such a reason. However, Mistel said he had no real hard feelings. So he guessed that he could not get involved for a time. This did leave an opening for him, as well.

"So, you're single now, then?" That question came out of Raeger's mouth unbidden. His eyes widened in horror. "Uh, I mean-"

A light blush dusted over Mistel's face. It was clear he was taking the question in a manner with a hidden question. Which was not completely false. He froze, unsure what to do.

"I.. Are you asking me out?" the blond asked, sounding slightly strangled. He didn't sound necessarily upset, but he did sound completely shocked.

"I... I guess?" Raeger stuttered, face bright red. "Don't worry about it, I know that it isn't exactly norm-"

"I'll tell you tomorrow," Mistel said with finality, cutting his friend off. "Meet me at my house tomorrow morning, and I shall give you my answer. Alright?"

"Alright," Raeger nodded.

Not sure if he should stay any longer, Mistel stood up. He took a few steps towards the door. Once, he stopped and looked back. Then he left the building, a pensive look on his face.

 _Oh Goddess, please let me not have fucked up._

Raeger's fervent prayers were interrupted by Iris walking into the restaurant. The brunet looked up in surprise as the woman walked over to him. She leaned on the counter, head in her hand. "So, Raeger, I heard you did something that made my brother a bit flustered."

"I... may have asked him out?" the chef said, asking more than saying. "Why?"

"I just think there is something about him you need to know before you to go out, if you do. Because he can never really love you fully."

"Because he is still a bit in love with Richard? I'm aware, thank you."

"Really?" Iris seemed completely surprised. She shook that off with a shrug, seeming to see how it would make sense. "That was not what I was going to tell you, actually. You see, you should cut off any contact with him, if you want your heart intact at the end."

So the woman told the chef all about her little brother. While the man of her explanation walked away, unaware of his sister's current move. Thoughts flying through his head, and red tainting his cheeks. A laugh bubbled within his chest, and a smile nearly broke his face.

 _I'm not sure how this is going to go, but I think it's all going to work out. I think that this will all go well in the end. It's all going to be alright._

* * *

 **Gah, I'm sorry. I feel like it's bad, but I wrote this in between my sister interrupting me every eight seconds, so there's that. I hope this is good enough for ya.**


	18. Last Chapter: Chapter Eighteen

**This is a rewrite, formatted so I don't have to do two parts. The beginning is basically the same, but the bottom half is different.**

* * *

Iris came home unusually late that night, making Mistel suspicious. If she did not sleep over at someone else's house, to avoid him no doubt, she would show up before dark. However, she decided to arrive at a bit past that on that night. Given the events that had happened that day, Mistel was very much suspicious. Especially when his dear sister seemed quite a bit more smug than necessary for an ordinary day.

"Is something up, sister?" the blond thought to ask as she walked across the room. "You're home a bit late. I hope nothing happened."

"Oh, no. There is nothing to worry about, brother," Iris said, returning the same falsely kind tone he used. Over the last few weeks, things had gotten rather tense between them. Especially whenever a certain chef was brought up. "By the way, I heard a certain someone asked you out. Did you get a ring?"

The mention immediately brought a blush to Mistel's face. "No, I didn't. I did give him a day to wait for my answer, though. So receiving a ring right now would not make sense. I'm sure one of us will give the other one soon, after I have thought over my answer."

"How long were you planning to string him along before you tell him he's being used?" Iris said, harshness enveloping her tone. "Raeger is such a kind man, he doesn't deserve this. I could not stand the thought of you using him like that, especially when so many women are far better suited to him. Thankfully, you don't have to go through the trouble of telling him your answer now. I doubt he'll even show up to hear your answer, with what he knows."

The antique seller's face turned ashen at his sister's words. "You told him?" he asked in an incredulous whisper. "Why in the world would you do that? You're ruining everything! You- You-" He floundered for the word to describe the woman who betrayed him and most likely destroyed his friendship with a man he felt more than just friendship for.

"Why? Mistel, you're broken. You're insane. You string people along to your will and use them until they become boring. Not one person here is an actual person to you, just a puppet. Now Raeger waltzes in and you take an interest in him, and make him fall for you. I won't let you hurt anyone emotionally, that is just cruel!"

The younger's eyes narrowed dangerously as he rose from his chair. "And who exactly said that I was planning on using him, Iris? I had no such plan. You really need to find out the facts before you meddle. You see, I am not stringing Raeger along, and I most certainly am not seeing him as a toy. I'm offended you would think otherwise. I do have a good side."

"A good side?" The novelist actually scoffed at the idea. "You treat _people_ as _things!_ You try to control others and use them for your devices. Tell me-"

"Oh, like you're much different?! You always control me, force me to be your good little brother. I can complain about vegetables and act childish in the ways you want me to be. But the second I step out of that mold, you have the urge to fix me. Why do you think I became like this? I cried over Richard's death and _you called me a baby_!"

Iris seemed shocked by his argument and took a step back. "I don't control you, Mistel," she said weakly. "I have never tried to, and I don't now. I just wants what's best for you."

"Well, you obviously don't," Mistel hissed, violet eyes flashing in his fury. "If you did care, you would not have chased away the one person I actually gave a real damn about in this town besides Agate! You know what, I have tried. I have tried and tried and tried to change. Not for you, you conceited, meddling bitch. For the one person who reached out to me and picked me up when I fell, and didn't just hang around me because I was interesting. I have tried to actually make friends because of him. I have tried to help him out best I could. You have no idea how many things I've tried! Yet you stand there and gloat about how you made the best person in this town hate me."

"Well, you haven't given up you're meddling and manipulating, have you?" Iris accused blindly. She had no idea if he had or not, but just assumed he had not. After all, he wasn't at all like the brother she knew. So he must still be using that thing.

Mistel scoffed, crossing his arms. "Yes, I have. And if it meant he wouldn't leave me, I would never touch the damn thing again in my life. But you don't give a damn about that. You just stand there and accuse me. You stand there and justify _ruining my life._ You don't even know why I became that way, and I doubt you care!"

"No, Mistel. I do care. Of course I care, I'm your sister. So tell me! Tell me why you became this- This- Monster!"

He grew still then. His gaze locked with the matching violet eyes of his sister's, expression serious and grave. He took in a deep breath, as if collecting his thoughts. "I was alone, and Richard died because I was not around. I had no control over everything. I had no one to turn to, and you barely paid attention to me. I wanted so badly to have control over everything. To keep people safe. So I figured out how. But now I realize that it's worth it to give that up. It's worth it to be someone I have not been in years just to have a friend who cares about me. To be with someone I care about." He broke of then, looking down. He took another breath to say, "And you never notice. I tried everything in the book and then changed on my own, and you still tried to be the knight that saved the village. Face it Iris, you're not the hero of your novel. If anyone is, it's Raeger. So go let him be the star, instead of butting in."

Mistel stood there motionless and Iris took in his words. Then she gave a short nod. "Very well. He already knows, but I will let him do as he wishes. However, if things backfire, I will meddle. Remember that."

"Very well," Mistel remarked as she turned away. "But watch your back."

The woman scoffed and turned away. Her brother was such a wishful thinker, thinking he had even had a sliver of a chance to win this. She may not have gotten a clear answer from the chef, but she was certain the other would see things her way. She had a good ally now, who obviously had more sway on her brother than she did herself. Things would work out.

* * *

Morning rolled around to reveal a sunny day. The antique shop was empty, save for one person. Anxiously, Mistel waited ion his shop, staring out the window. Worries flashed through his head, as well as a multitude of other thoughts. Every few minutes, the same worry would appear withing his head: He won't show up, after all.

Soon nine o'clock rolled around, and the blond felt sick to his stomach with worry. He sighed to himself, standing up. He had to calm down. There was no use worrying about everything when there was work to be done. He grabbed the duster and started brushing off all the antiques. He worked his thoughts away, only stopping when the door creaked open, and the bell on the door let out a merry jingle.

He turned around, surprised. Standing inside was a man whose face he knew well. The brunet gave Mistel a half smile. "Good morning, Mistel. You seem surprised I'm here. What, did you forget me already?"

"No," Mistel said stiffly, turning his back to the man he called a friend. He could not even look at him right now. It hurt too much, since he was almost certain he knew what Raeger was here to say. It wasn't what Mistel's answer was, for sure. "I didn't think you would come, after what Iris said about me. So it is a surprise."

"You could have manipulated me into not believing her, couldn't you? I mean, if you had gotten Klaus to come in and say it was revenge for something you did, I would have believed him. You could have prevented it as well, right?"

Well, he was right. But Mistel did not want to play like that anymore. "Yes," he said simply, not elaborating further."

"So, why didn't you?"

The former puppet master was silent for a long time. He thought for a second, trying to figure out the correct answer. Finally, he settled on the truth. "As of the day before yesterday, I stopped meddling with other peoples' lives. I did not want to be that person anymore."

"That's a strange change. Haven't you been like this for years. That seems unlike you. You're stubborn about what you want. I doubt Iris was the one who forced you to change."

"No one forced me to change, Raeger," Mistel protested. He started dusting again to divert his attention. "I chose to, because I wanted to be with someone."

An image of Agate's smiling face flashed through Raeger's mind. He internally winced, feeling slightly jealous. "Oh, right. Agate left you. You probably changed for her." He sighed, the sound echoing in Mistel's ears. "I'm not surprised."

"What?" Mistel turned around, confused. "No! She left me because I changed! I didn't want you to leave, you idiot!"

The words stunned Raeger into silence, and all he could do was blink. "Wait, you... Changed for me? So you didn't want to bring me here just so you could completely reject me and call me an idiot, then."

"No, you idiot," Mistel sighed, face planted in his palm. "I was planning on saying yes! That it, until I figured you hated me. I'm a bit of a monster, anyway, right? So.. it isn't that surprising."

"I... can't say I hate you. It's a bit surprising, though. I never suspected anything like that. You're a good actor. I.. appreciate the thought about stopping this, though."

Mistel shrugged, turning to look out the window. "So, I guess you came here to tell me not to bother with my answer."

"..Not really, I just wanted to know if what Iris said was true."

"About me being manipulative?"

"No, not about that. Iris said that you... you'd never care about me. That everything you'd said was a lie. I just wanted to know if you had lied. If all I ever was to you was a tool, or a puppet."

Mistel scoffed. "Hell no. I meant it when I said you were my friend. My first real friend in years, so you should feel honored."

Raeger sighed, remembering another worry of his. "Am I like Richard at all?"

"What?"

"Well, you could just be using me because I'm like your childhood friend. He was special to you, right? You could be unconsciously using me as a replacement. I just... wanna know what I'm getting into."

"No, you're nothing like Richard. Expect for your names sort of sounding similar if you squint. I like you because you're a nice person, alright?" Hey, if he was coming clean, he was gonna come clean. All honesty here.

"Oh, alright. But.. I'm still not sure if I'm ready for a relationship right now. I mean, things have kinda changed. I want to know how you actually are. Not your mask. That was also something that I had wanted to say."

"You're right. That would be best. Let's start over."

"Alright. Hello, my name is Raeger. I work at the restaurant across town, which is only closed on Wednesdays. If you're hungry, drop by there sometime."

"Hello, Raeger. I am Mistel. I run the antique shop that is open on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays. If you're interested, drop on by and buy something."

Sometimes, all you have to do to repair a relationship is to start over. A mask and a lie don't take you very far. Maybe it won't work out between these two, but maybe it will. At least they will try. And they will be honest with each other about who they are. Friends is a good enough start, given the circumstances.

High above, a young boy with curly raven hair looked down upon the town of Oak Tree. He smiled softly, seeing his best friend finally have his new beginning. Things aren't perfect, but they don't have to be. At least they'll be able to try for something better than what they had.

* * *

 **Welp... I tried. This isn't the best ending, and it is open ended. The sequel is a rainy day project I'm setting aside for awhile. It may come, it may not. For now, this is the ending. I hope it was alright. Yes, the boy at the end was Richard. I tried my best with this, and I hope it was halfway enjoyable.**

 **See ya in other stories!**


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